Finding Hope and Stability Amid Life's Disruptions

 

Summary

In life, we often encounter sudden disruptions that can shake our sense of peace and stability. These disruptions can be personal, financial, or circumstantial, much like the stories we find in the Bible. Joseph, for instance, was suddenly thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, losing his favored position with his father. Similarly, the disciples faced a sudden storm on the water, disrupting their peace. These biblical narratives remind us that life can become stormy without warning, just as we have seen in recent times with natural disasters like hurricanes Harvey and Irma, fires in California, earthquakes in Mexico, and floods in India. These events remind us that chaos can strike anywhere, disrupting the natural order and our sense of well-being.

However, amidst these challenges, there is hope. God is present in our messes and can transform them into miracles. He knows exactly where we are, how we feel, and what we are facing. In these moments of disruption, we are invited to look up, even when we feel down, and to seek God’s presence in our lives. This is an opportunity to experience God at a deeper level, much like Job, who, after enduring great loss, declared that he had moved from hearing about God to seeing Him with his own eyes. This transformation is possible for us too, as we trust in God’s ability to meet us in our struggles and bring about a profound encounter with Him.

Key Takeaways

- Life's sudden disruptions, whether personal or natural, remind us of the unpredictability of our existence. These moments challenge us to find stability not in our circumstances but in our faith. By anchoring ourselves in God, we can navigate the storms of life with a sense of peace and assurance. [00:31]

- The stories of Joseph and the disciples illustrate that even in the darkest pits or fiercest storms, God is present. He is not distant or unaware of our struggles. Instead, He is intimately involved, ready to transform our messes into miracles. [01:39]

- Natural disasters and personal crises can feel overwhelming, but they also serve as reminders of our need for God. In these times, we are called to lift our eyes to Him, trusting that He is capable of bringing order to chaos and peace to turmoil. [01:04]

- Experiencing God in our trials can lead to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him. Like Job, we can move from merely hearing about God to truly seeing and experiencing His presence and power in our lives. [02:13]

- Our challenges are opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation. By seeking God in our difficulties, we open ourselves to experiencing His love and grace in ways we never have before, leading to a more profound faith. [01:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - Sudden Disruptions in Life
[01:04] - Natural Disasters and Global Chaos
[01:39] - God’s Presence in Our Messes
[02:13] - Experiencing God Like Job
[02:45] - Invitation to Look Up
[03:10] - Transforming Messes into Miracles
[03:35] - Finding Stability in Faith
[04:00] - Deeper Understanding Through Trials
[04:25] - Opportunities for Spiritual Growth
[04:50] - Conclusion and Encouragement

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Genesis 37:23-28 (Joseph being thrown into a pit and sold into slavery)
- Mark 4:35-41 (The disciples facing a storm on the water)
- Job 42:5 (Job's declaration of moving from hearing about God to seeing Him)

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Observation Questions:
1. What were the circumstances that led Joseph to be thrown into a pit and sold into slavery? How did this sudden disruption change his life? [00:31]
2. Describe the situation the disciples found themselves in during the storm on the water. How did they react to this sudden disruption? [00:31]
3. How does the sermon describe God's presence in the midst of natural disasters and personal crises? [01:39]
4. What transformation did Job experience after his trials, according to the sermon? [02:13]

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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might Joseph's experience of being sold into slavery illustrate the unpredictability of life and the need for faith? [00:31]
2. In what ways does the story of the disciples in the storm demonstrate God's ability to bring peace to chaos? [01:04]
3. How does the sermon suggest that personal and natural crises can serve as reminders of our need for God? [01:04]
4. What does Job's statement about moving from hearing about God to seeing Him suggest about the potential for spiritual growth through trials? [02:13]

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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent disruption in your life. How did you respond, and what role did your faith play in navigating that situation? [00:31]
2. When facing a personal crisis, what practical steps can you take to "look up" and seek God's presence, as suggested in the sermon? [01:39]
3. How can you anchor yourself in God to find stability amidst life's unpredictability? What specific practices or habits could help you do this? [01:04]
4. Think of a time when you felt overwhelmed by a situation. How did you experience God's presence, and what did you learn from that experience? [01:39]
5. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding and relationship with God during times of trial, similar to Job's experience? [02:13]
6. Identify a current challenge you are facing. How might this be an opportunity for spiritual growth and transformation? [01:39]
7. What specific actions can you take this week to trust in God's ability to transform your messes into miracles? [03:10]

Devotional

Day 1: Finding Stability in Faith Amidst Life's Disruptions
Life is filled with unexpected disruptions that can unsettle our peace and stability. These disruptions, whether personal, financial, or circumstantial, remind us of the unpredictability of our existence. The stories of Joseph and the disciples illustrate that life can become stormy without warning. Joseph was suddenly thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, losing his favored position with his father. Similarly, the disciples faced a sudden storm on the water, disrupting their peace. These moments challenge us to find stability not in our circumstances but in our faith. By anchoring ourselves in God, we can navigate the storms of life with a sense of peace and assurance. [00:31]

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel most unstable right now? How can you actively choose to anchor yourself in God’s promises today?


Day 2: God’s Presence in Our Messes
The stories of Joseph and the disciples illustrate that even in the darkest pits or fiercest storms, God is present. He is not distant or unaware of our struggles. Instead, He is intimately involved, ready to transform our messes into miracles. Joseph's journey from the pit to the palace and the disciples' experience of Jesus calming the storm are powerful reminders of God's transformative power. In our own lives, we can trust that God is with us, working through our challenges to bring about His purposes. [01:39]

Psalm 46:1-3 (ESV): "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling."

Reflection: Think of a current struggle you are facing. How can you invite God into this situation and trust Him to work through it?


Day 3: Lifting Our Eyes to God in Times of Chaos
Natural disasters and personal crises can feel overwhelming, but they also serve as reminders of our need for God. In these times, we are called to lift our eyes to Him, trusting that He is capable of bringing order to chaos and peace to turmoil. Just as Job moved from hearing about God to seeing Him with his own eyes, we too can experience God at a deeper level in our trials. This transformation is possible as we trust in God’s ability to meet us in our struggles and bring about a profound encounter with Him. [01:04]

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV): "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Reflection: When faced with chaos, what practical steps can you take to lift your eyes to God and seek His presence today?


Day 4: Experiencing God Through Trials
Experiencing God in our trials can lead to a deeper understanding and relationship with Him. Like Job, we can move from merely hearing about God to truly seeing and experiencing His presence and power in our lives. Our challenges are opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation. By seeking God in our difficulties, we open ourselves to experiencing His love and grace in ways we never have before, leading to a more profound faith. [02:13]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent trial you have faced. How did it change your understanding of God, and how can you use this experience to deepen your relationship with Him?


Day 5: Opportunities for Spiritual Growth in Challenges
Our challenges are opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation. By seeking God in our difficulties, we open ourselves to experiencing His love and grace in ways we never have before. This leads to a more profound faith, as we trust in God’s ability to meet us in our struggles and bring about a profound encounter with Him. Like Job, who declared that he had moved from hearing about God to seeing Him with his own eyes, we too can experience this transformation. [01:39]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: Identify a challenge you are currently facing. How can you view this challenge as an opportunity for spiritual growth and invite God to transform it into a deeper experience of His grace?

Quotes

"The Bible is full of stories of people who've experienced sudden loss, great loss, whether it's personal or financial or circumstantial. I think of Joseph who out of nowhere finds himself thrown in a pit and turned into a slave overnight from his pinnacle position with his father. I think of the disciples on the water when a storm, a lilac, comes out of nowhere and disrupts that sense of peace and well-being. Life can get stormy sometimes, not only in the Bible but in our day as well." [00:00:07]

"You think of hurricane Harvey and the devastation that it wrought in Houston and surrounding areas. You think of hurricane Irma and her going up the coast of Florida and bringing about displacement on a massive level. You think about fires in California that has threatened homes and lives. But not only in our nation, around the world. Whether it's an earthquake in Mexico devastating the homes and lives of people or floods in India. No matter where you go there seems like something comes out of nowhere and disrupts the natural order of things, in the sense of well-being." [00:00:49]

"But as negative as those circumstances are, whether they're financial or relational or coming from what I call natural disasters or anything that disrupts your sense of calm, God can meet you there. He knows where you are. He knows how you feel. He knows what you're facing, and He knows how to take messes and create miracles." [00:01:28]

"So I want to challenge you, in spite of the sudden disruption that you may be facing in your life right now, to look up even though you feel down, to look high even though your spirits may be low, because God can meet you in this place and let you experience Him at a level you never experienced Him before." [00:01:55]

"So that you'll be able to say like Job who was going through a sudden devastating experience of loss in his own life, 'I've heard about Him with the hearing of the ear, but now I have seen Him with my own eyes.'" [00:02:20]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?