Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

God allows and even brings storms and trials into our lives and uses them to give us a God-centered worldview and move us to greater trust in His power and love.

Big Idea:

Man-Centered Worldview God-Centered Worldview

Man is at the center of reality, we are the starting point

God is at the center of reality, He is the starting point

Our goals, needs and rights are the main concern, they are how we process life

God's goals, needs and rights are the main concern, they are how we process life

Our goals, needs and rights define what a problem is and what success is

His goals, needs and rights define what a problem is and what success is

We all deserve to be happy and to do whatever it takes to acquire happiness

We all deserve hell for our sin

Self-esteem is the foundation of all virtue and health as a human

God-esteem is the foundation of all virtue and health as a human

In trials we ask: "Why is this happening to me?"

In trials we ask: "What is Your purpose, God, to glorify Your Name?"

Jesus so demonstrated a God Centered World View John 12:27-28 My soul is troubled, and

what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to the hour. Father, glorify Your name!

Power & Love

1. Jesus is the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of life

Power & Love

1. Jesus is the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of life

John 1:1-5:1 In the beginning the Word already existed.    The Word was with God,    and the Word was God.2 He existed in the beginning with God.3 God created everything through him,    and nothing was created except through him.4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,     and his life brought light to everyone.5 The light shines in the darkness,    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Power & Love

1. Jesus is the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of life

2. Jesus is loving and trustworthy

Power & Love

1. Jesus is the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of life

2. Jesus is loving and trustworthy

Romans 5:8:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Power & Love

1. Jesus is the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of life

2. Jesus is loving and trustworthy

1 Peter 1:6-7:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

John Piper Quote

"Don't just think of immoral behaviors. Think of cancer and his temptation to destroy your faith that way. Think of unbearable pain. Think of the loss of loved ones, and the sickness of your children, and financial hardship, and marriage tensions, and political strife, and natural disasters, and threatening crime, and mob violence. The word for temptation in Greek (peirasmos) is the same for both testing and tempting. The reason is that all temptation tests your faith, and all testing of your faith is a temptation to forsake the faith.

Satan tempts and tests in only one way: He lies. And in all his lying, it boils down to two lies. In every test, his lie is: God is bad. And in every temptation his lie is: Sin is better. God is bad and sin is better. He has one tune to play, and he plays it in a thousand ways.”

Truths we must cling to in trial1. Life is hard2 Timothy 3:12

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

Truths we must cling to in trial1. Life is hard2. Jesus is all powerful

Truths we must cling to in trial1. Life is hard2. Jesus is all powerful3. Jesus is loving and trustworthyHeb. 4:15-16 (NLT):

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Truths we must cling to in trial1. Life is hard2. Jesus is all powerful3. Jesus is loving and trustworthy4. Jesus is our hope

Truths we must cling to in trial1. Life is hard2. Jesus is all powerful3. Jesus is loving and trustworthy4. Jesus is our hopeRomans 5:2-4 (NLT)

2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Jesus & Jonah

1. Both Jonah and Jesus were being sent by God on a mission to a wicked, sinful group of people and both would suffer for this mission.

2. Both were sent to preach a strong, simple message of repentance.

3. Both Jesus and Jonah were in a boat

4. Both boats were overtaken by a violent storm

5. Both Jesus and Jonah slept through a life threatening storm

6. Both are awoken to cries of desperate sailors thinking death is eminent

7. In both stories there is a divine intervention and the sea is calmed

8. In both stories the sailors are more afraid after the sea is calmed.

Jesus & Jonah

Matthew 12:40-41 (NLT):40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 

Peace Right Now

Philippians 4:6-7:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Where are you in the story?

Are you in the midst of trial? What are you believing about God? What part of the situation makes it hard for

you trust His heart of love for you? How can you step towards believing in His

power over the trial?

Or are you in a time of relative peace? What reminds you of how you have

previously gone through a trial? How did you process God's power and loving presence then?

What can you be doing to prepare your heart for the trial that is coming?

John 16:33-34

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”