Sunday Worship, 9/6/26, Becoming Who We Are Meant to Be Part 3

Devotional

Day 1: Sleeping Through the Storm: Surrendering to Perfect Peace

The disciples panicked as waves crashed over their boat, but Jesus slept undisturbed. His rest wasn’t indifference—it revealed divine peace untouched by chaos. True peace begins when we stop demanding God fix our storms and instead trust His presence in them. Like the disciples, we often mistake stillness for abandonment, forgetting the Savior naps in our chaos. Peace grows when we surrender our need for control to the One who rules the wind. [41:13]

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. (Mark 4:37-38, ESV)

Reflection: What storm in your life makes you want to shake Jesus awake? How might His rest in your chaos invite you to surrender instead of strive?

Day 2: The Eye of the Storm: Finding Stillness in Chaos

Hurricanes rage with 100-mile winds, yet their centers hold eerie calm. So it is with Christ-followers—external chaos need not dictate internal reality. Peace isn’t the absence of storms but the presence of the Storm-Maker. When we anchor ourselves in His sovereignty, we become living eyes of the hurricane: calm, centered, sustained. This peace defies circumstances because it flows from who holds us, not what surrounds us. [48:01]

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you trying to “weather the storm” through sheer willpower? What would it look like to stand in the eye—still, surrendered, sustained—today?

Day 3: Who Is This? Recognizing Christ’s Authority Over Chaos

The disciples’ terror turned to awe when waves obeyed Christ’s whisper. Their question—“Who is this?”—cuts to our crisis: do we see storms as bigger than our Savior? Every squall tests whether we view Jesus as a sleeping teacher or the Commander of galaxies. Peace flourishes when we stop sizing up problems and start marveling at the Problem-Solver. His resume includes calming seas, raising dead, and rewriting destinies. [52:01]

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle makes you question Christ’s power or care? How might remembering His authority over cosmic forces reshape your perspective?

Day 4: Making Peace with What You Cannot Change

Muhammad Ali learned through Parkinson’s that human strength fails—divine strength endures. The serenity prayer’s wisdom lies in distinguishing between what we’re called to change and what we’re called to release. Peace grows when we stop white-knuckling outcomes and start open-handing burdens. Like fishermen realizing they couldn’t out-row the storm, we find rest admitting our limits to the Limitless One. [54:22]

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV)

Reflection: What situation are you exhausting yourself trying to control? How might surrendering it to Christ’s care bring both relief and renewed strength?

Day 5: Unclenching Your Fists: The Daily Choice of Surrender

Peace isn’t a one-time transaction but daily relinquishment. Like the greyhound crammed into that tiny bathroom, we often resist the shelter of surrender until storms force us in. Yet Jesus waits not with condemnation but compassion, offering to trade our anxiety for His assurance. Every morning presents new opportunities to whisper, “You steer the boat.” The fruit of peace ripens when we stop fighting the Gardener. [58:25]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What “boat” are you trying to captain today? What practical step can you take to let Christ take the helm this moment?

Sermon Summary

Mark 4 places Jesus and the disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, where a furious squall rises suddenly and waves begin breaking over the boat. The disciples, seasoned fishermen who knew those waters and knew storms were normal, still find themselves terrified. Fear settles over them, questions overwhelm them, and they wake Jesus with the raw question, “Don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus sleeps in the stern while the storm rages, and that picture shows the perfect peace available in the middle of chaos. Jesus does not deny that the storm is real, nor does he shame the disciples for feeling afraid. Jesus speaks three words, “Quiet, be still,” and the wind dies down until the water is completely calm. Jesus then asks why they are so afraid and whether they still have no faith, because his concern reaches deeper than the waves around them. Jesus wants to calm fearful hearts, not merely calm rough water.

The fruit of peace grows through surrender to the One who can calm any storm. Life storms can include grief, abuse, job loss, loneliness, hopelessness, and the pain of unanswered questions. Jesus remains in the boat, so to speak, with those who belong to him. God’s presence does not always mean an immediate escape from the storm, but God’s presence means the storm is never bigger than him.

The eye of a storm pictures this kind of peace. The storm may continue raging all around, causing real chaos and destruction, while stillness exists at the center. God offers that inner stillness when people stop trying to box with God and surrender to his loving care and control. “Your arms are too short to box with God,” because God is the greatest and every storm is beneath his power.

The peace of God also requires acceptance of what cannot be changed. The disciples recognize that the wind and waves are beyond their control, yet Jesus holds authority over all of it. Philippians 4 calls anxious hearts to bring every request to God with prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. God’s peace guards hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, even when explanations never come and every answer is not yet clear.

The call is daily surrender: changing what can be changed, accepting what cannot be changed, and trusting that God is bigger than every hardship. Peace with God comes first, and the peace of God follows through Jesus Christ.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is in the boat Jesus’ presence does not make storms imaginary, but it changes what the storm is allowed to mean. The disciples saw waves that could capsize them, while Jesus’ presence revealed that they were not abandoned. Faith begins by remembering that fear does not get the final word when Christ is near. [38:12]
2. Peace grows through surrender Surrender is not giving up in despair; it is giving control to the One who actually has it. God does not ask fearful hearts to pretend they are strong. God calls fearful hearts to stop fighting him and trust his care. [48:47]
3. Make peace with God first The peace of God cannot be separated from peace with God. Inner calm without surrender can become little more than temporary relief, but reconciliation with God gives peace a lasting foundation. Jesus Christ makes that peace possible. [50:54]
4. Accept what cannot be changed Acceptance does not excuse evil, deny pain, or remove personal responsibility. Acceptance recognizes that some burdens are far above human pay grade and must be entrusted to God. Courage changes what can be changed, while wisdom releases what cannot. [53:44]
5. God is bigger than the storm Life storms can feel like the biggest thing in sight, especially when answers do not come. God remains greater than every hardship, every loss, and every fear-producing circumstance. Peace becomes possible when the heart chooses to see God as bigger.

## [56:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:52] - A Tornado Warning and Life Storms
[32:05] - The Fruit of Peace
[33:49] - Jesus Calms the Storm
[35:40] - Surrender to the One Who Calms Storms
[38:12] - Jesus Is in the Boat
[43:19] - The Greater Miracle: Calmed Hearts
[47:16] - Peace in the Eye of the Storm
[50:54] - Make Peace with God
[51:23] - Accept What Cannot Be Changed
[55:28] - The Peace of God Guards Hearts
[57:44] - Daily Surrender and an Invitation to Faith
[61:33] - Prayer for Peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” [33:49]

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [55:28]

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [33:00]

Observation questions

What details in Mark 4 show how serious the storm was, and what were the disciples doing while Jesus was asleep? [35:40]
What exact question did the disciples ask Jesus, and what does that question reveal about what they feared most in that moment? [38:46]
After Jesus spoke to the wind and sea, what changed outside the boat, and what question did Jesus ask the disciples? [41:34]
In Philippians 4:4-7, what are believers told to do instead of being anxious, and what does God promise to do with their hearts and minds? [55:47]

Interpretation questions

The disciples knew storms on the Sea of Galilee were normal, yet this storm overwhelmed them. Why can familiar hardships still cause people to question whether Jesus cares? [36:21]
Jesus calmed the wind and waves, but he also addressed the disciples’ fear and faith. Why is a calmed heart an even deeper need than changed circumstances? [43:24]
What does it mean to surrender to God without simply giving up or becoming passive in the face of real problems? [48:44]
Philippians 4 connects prayer, petition, thanksgiving, and peace. How might thanksgiving help a believer bring an honest request to God without being ruled by anxiety? [55:47]

Application questions

What “life storm” is most likely to stir fear in you right now—loss, uncertainty, loneliness, conflict, finances, health, or something else? What honest words would you bring to Jesus about it? [39:33]
When you do not see God changing a painful situation, are you more likely to assume he does not care, try to control everything yourself, or withdraw? What would it look like to remember that Jesus is still in the boat with you? [47:00]
Is there something in your life that you have been trying to “box with God” about—an unanswered question, a disappointment, or a circumstance you cannot change? What might surrender to God’s loving care and control look like this week? [49:03]
What is one thing you can responsibly change in your current situation, and what is one thing you need to accept as beyond your control? How can you ask God for courage in one and wisdom in the other? [54:14]
Philippians 4 calls believers to bring every request to God with thanksgiving. What specific request do you need to name before God this week, and what are two reasons you can thank him even in the middle of it? [55:47]
Peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit, not merely a feeling produced by easy circumstances. What daily practice could help you make room for God’s peace—prayer, Scripture, asking for help, releasing control, or something else? [58:30]
Peace with God comes before the peace of God. Where do you need to surrender more fully to Jesus, trusting him not only to help in your storm but also to lead your whole life? [50:56]

Sermon Clips

43s

#MakePeaceWithGod

“You see, when we surrender, it leads us into a life of obedience, and that allows the fruit of peace to grow inside of us. So here's here's the key truth we need to hold on to. If we wanna grow the fruit of peace in our lives so that we can become all that god wants us to become, and that is that you can't have the peace of God until you first make peace with God. It's that simple. You can't have the peace of God until you make peace with God, peace with God. It's the result of surrender.”

54s

#PeaceOverPanic

“So he rebukes them to teach them that far more important than the storm that had been raging all around just a moment ago was his concern for his disciples to experience peace in the midst the storm. You see, peace comes surrender, and it comes from trust. See, the instant calming of the storm, it it was a tremendous miracle. It's a miracle that many of us have probably heard of before, but I wanna suggest to you that the the greater miracle the greater miracle was the stilling of their hearts.”

52s

#ChooseGodNotFear

“But, you know, ultimately, peace is a choice. It's a choice, and it's largely determined by what you choose to see. Like, when you're going through something, when you're going through a heart of a challenge, a storm of some kind, what do you see? Do you see that the storm is the biggest thing around, Or do you see that God is bigger? If if you're not sure as to how to answer that, I'll tell you right now, God is always bigger. God is always bigger than any challenge, any hardship, any storm. It may feel like the storm is gonna take us down or capsize us, but god is always bigger.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Newton Christian Church, Newton, Kansas This sermon · AI assistant

What is the source of peace amid storms?

How does surrender lead to experiencing God's peace?

How do we accept what cannot be changed?