The storms of life tend to reveal our level of trust and Faith in God. In this message Pastor Jermey DeWeerdt kicked off our brand new sermon series Into The Wild with a powerful message on how God will give us supernatural strength in the middle of our storms if we keep our eyes on Him!
Notes 📓✏️:
Matthew 14:22-33 (Amp) “Then He (Jesus) directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds. And after He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was still there alone.
But the boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs [a furlong is one-eighth of a mile] distant from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them.
And in the fourth watch [between 3:00–6:00AM] of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright.
But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.
He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!
Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!”
The storms of life tend to reveal our level of trust and faith in God!
“…In this world nothing is certain but death, taxes, and storms.”
Oswald Chambers: There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we do our human best; it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to trust Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go to the breaking point and not break in our confidence in Him.
Matthew 14:21 (Amp) And those who ate were about 5,000 men, not including women and children.
Matthew 14:22 (Amp) Then He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds.
Right after a miracle, the enemy sends a storm!
Storms tend to come during the “nights” of our lives!
Uncertainty is a strong feeling marked by a loss of control, unpredictability, and the perception that things are going to get worse. Uncertainty creates anxiety because we crave the ability to control our circumstances.
Psalms 30:5b (NLT) Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Look for Jesus in the middle of your storm!
Jesus rarely removes people immediately from uncertain situations; instead, He meets them in their storm.
We must learn to interpret the storms of life in the light of our knowledge of God.
Trying to find anything or anyone to trust other than Jesus in the middle of your storm will only create more instability.
God gives you extraordinary strength in the middle of the storm!
A little faith is better than no faith at all.
God gives you supernatural strength in the middle of the storm, if you keep your eyes on Him!
Matthew 14:30 (Amp) But when he (Peter) perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!
Fear will sink you.
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
First Stop:
- When you are in challenging circumstances, what is your natural response?
- Who do you need to invite with you on the journey?
- It’s tempting to want to face difficulties alone, why do you think we are tempted to respond this way?
Mile Markers:
- Can you think of a specific trial or challenge you faced “in the wild?” How did it impact your faith and resilience?
- Do you believe the trials we face have a purpose or can lead to personal growth? Why or why not?
- What are some practical ways we can support each other when we are facing trials?
- Pastor Jer talked about having the right tools to navigate the wild. What is a spiritual tool you want to strengthen or put into practice? (i.e. prayer, trust, patience, God’s Word.)
Destination
- How can we encourage and mentor those newer in faith who may be going through similar trials as our own?
- How has your perspective on trials and tribulations changed as your faith has evolved
- Can you share an experience where a trial strengthened your faith in God or deepened your spiritual understanding?