Series: Luke
Sermon Title: The God Who Calms Storms
Passage: Luke 8:22-25
Reno Campus and Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun
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Carson Campus
Series: Gospel of Luke
Sermon Title: The God Who Calms Storms
Passage: Luke 8: 22-25
Where is God in the storm?
Does God care about my storm?
Does anything good come from the storm?
“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.” Mother Teresa
Where is my faith during life’s storms?
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- What was the significance of Jesus being asleep in the storm?
- Mark’s companion scripture to Luke’s account of the storm says they asked “Lord don’t you care….?” Why do we so easily default to that line of reasoning in questioning God’s care for us, and why is that so dangerous?
- The disciples ended up in the storm because of their obedience to Jesus. When have you ended up in a storm when you’ve been following God?
- The disciples reached a point of complete hopelessness before they surrendered, what principle can we learn from this story?
- Jesus promised his disciples they would cross over to the other side of the lake. How has it been comforting to know that if God called you to something, he’d call you through something?
- What does this scripture reveal about God’s trustworthiness?
- The disciples perspective was limited to the impact of the storm on their life. How did their perspective limit their faith in Jesus?
- Read Romans 5:3-5, 2 Timothy 3:10-12 and James 1:2-4; These imply that the Lord uses hardships to bring about qualities he desires in us. Why does God allow us to experience the storms of life? Knowing this what truth do we need to hold onto?
- How has surviving the storms of life strengthened your faith?
- Read James 1:2-4 again; Why do you think perseverance is so important in the christian daily life?
- How is the storm we encounter an invitation to know God in new ways?
- How can we keep an external perspective if it seems the storms of life will never end?
PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- We all experience storms, think a specific storm season, where were you, what was going on around you?What are your feelings about what was going on? Now picture Jesus, where is he in the storm, what is he doing? What are your feelings about what you picture?
- What is the internal story you believe when God is silent in a storm? What truth do you need to apply to that internal narrative to reframe the story?
- God could have prevented Joseph’s storm (being sold into slavery by his brothers).
- How would history be different had God
- done that? And can you see His purpose in it?
- How would your personal life‘s history be different had God prevented your storms (which you survived, btw?)
- How do you struggle to surrender to God’s will for suffering in your life?
- Journal about a time when you were surprised about how God responded in a storm you encountered.
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:
RESOURCES:
- Article | Jon Bloom | Can We Really Be Free From Excessive Fears
- BOOK | CRAIG GROESCHEL | HOPE IN THE DARK: BELIEVING GOD IS GOOD WHEN LIFE IS NOT
- BLOG | MELISSA KRUGER | CONTENTMENT IN THE STORM
MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY : CONTEMPLATION
This discipline is about your awareness. Aware of God’s 24/7 presence with you, in other words awake to the ongoing good and true realities of God. A contemplative person understands that every situation there is more than meets the eye.
In the scriptures Paul writes and instructs us to “fix our eyes”. 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.“This struck me as I ponder the concept of “fixing our eyes”. When I dig into this idea it is about determined focus. The kind of fixed focus that leads to no distractions. A clarity among the complexity of choices.
Contemplation has gone by the wayside in our busy culture. “In a world where people anchor their identity on the shifting seas of performance and accomplishments, contemplation seems inefficient and too unproductive for the daily grind.” However, when I think of people who walk in total peace I picture a contemplative.
Here are a few practices to get started in your development:
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practicing the presence of God breath prayer simple prayer, prayer of the heart taking time to truly see.
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gaze on life, others, arts and so forth refusing the compulsion to go everywhere
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see everything and try out all that is novel
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Oh the irony, we are hearing a sermon this week on where God is in the storm, and although we have experienced many, our life, in the moment, has been storm free. That is until Wednesday evening May 1. A storm came out of nowhere and it will have long term ramifications. Cindy Broke her Tibia and Fibula and required emergency surgery. She is not allowed to put weight on her leg for 8 weeks. We are scared and not sure what the journey will be like. However, What I can tell you is this, Jesus is always present. When all you are focused on is the storm WE lose sight and become fearful, but his presence is there. It is like the peace in the middle of the eye of a storm. Peace In the middle of chaos. That is what the disciples experienced. When the disciples looked to Jesus, in the storm, he was there.
Many times when we allow the emotions of the storm to drive our thoughts in the storm we question God, his presence, his goodness, or his trustworthiness. Our perspective does not change his character, nature or intent for us. He is faithful and present and good and will hold you, carry you, cry with you and sustain you in every storm. How, because his love never fails. When we do not see a path through, His love never fails, when we feel on the verge of total collapse, His loving presence never fails, When the trauma and pain really is too much to bear, His loving presence, like Jesus in the boat, never fails. His love is constant in the ordinary as well as in crisis.
God desires us to draw close to us through the storm. The apostles’ lack of faith in Jesus, were their emotions leading their reality. Every storm is an invitation! God invites us to new levels of intimacy with him. To know him, trust him and love him more. – Rob Hans | Spiritual Formation Pastor