Trusting God Through Life's Storms: A Call to Faith

As we prepare for a new school year, we pause to bless our children, educators, and all who serve in our schools, asking that they would enter this season with a deep awareness of God’s love and presence. We pray that their confidence would not rest in themselves, but in the One who goes before them, guiding and sustaining them through every challenge. For those who teach and lead, we ask for wisdom, discernment, and a grace that is evident even when they cannot speak of Christ openly, trusting that God’s work through them will be unmistakable.

Turning to Mark 4, we reflect on the nature of faith. Faith is not a human virtue we muster up, but a divine gift, rooted in God’s initiative and sustained by His power. It is not about the strength or quality of our belief, but about the object of our faith—Jesus Himself. Faith is dynamic, growing and being worked out in the everyday realities of life, especially in the midst of storms and chaos. The story of Jesus calming the storm reveals both His full humanity—exhausted, He sleeps in the boat—and His full divinity, as He commands the wind and waves with a word.

This passage challenges us to examine the lies our fears tell us: fear of failure, rejection, suffering, the future, and being truly known. Each of these fears can distort our view of God and ourselves, tempting us to believe that God is distant or indifferent. Yet, Jesus’ response to the disciples’ fear is not condemnation, but a call to deeper trust. He invites us to rest—not just physically, but spiritually—in the assurance that He is sovereign over every storm.

True faith is not the absence of fear, but the reordering of our fears in light of God’s glory and love. When we see Jesus as He truly is—both near and sovereign, both compassionate and powerful—our anxieties lose their grip, and we find rest for our souls. The invitation is simple yet profound: go to sleep, for God is awake. Trust in His word, and let your heart be quieted by His presence. In every storm, may we know the peace that comes from trusting the One whom even the wind and waves obey.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith Is a Divine Gift, Not a Human Achievement Faith is not something we summon from within ourselves or a virtue we develop by sheer willpower. It is a gift from God, implanted and sustained by Him, freeing us from the exhausting pressure to “have enough faith.” Our confidence is not in our ability to believe, but in the One who gives us faith and holds us fast, even when we feel weak or uncertain. [28:03]
• 2. Rest Is an Act of Faith and Surrender Jesus’ sleep in the midst of the storm is a profound demonstration of trust in the Father’s care. Every time we rest, we declare our dependence on God and our belief that He is in control, even when we are not. True rest—physical and spiritual—requires releasing our need to manage every outcome and trusting that God remains active and sovereign while we sleep. [33:44]
• 3. Jesus’ Authority Reorders Our Fears The disciples’ terror in the storm exposes the lies that fear tells us: that God is indifferent, absent, or powerless. Jesus’ command over the wind and waves reveals that He is both near and infinitely powerful, inviting us to let His authority redefine what we fear. When we encounter the glory of Christ, our lesser fears are put in their proper place, and we are freed to trust and rest in Him. [36:49]
• 4. Faith Confronts the Lies Behind Our Deepest Anxieties Our fears—of failure, rejection, suffering, the future, and being truly known—often mask deeper lies about God’s love and our worth. Jesus meets us in these fears, not with rebuke, but with truth and grace, exposing the falsehoods and inviting us to trust His steadfast love and acceptance. Faith is not the denial of fear, but the courage to bring our fears to Jesus and let His word speak louder than our anxieties. [41:13]
• 5. The Object of Faith Is What Matters Most It is not the strength or purity of our faith that saves or sustains us, but the One in whom we trust. Jesus is not merely a wise teacher or a helper in times of trouble; He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, worthy of our reverence and surrender. When we see Him as He truly is, our faith is anchored, our fears are reordered, and we find the peace that surpasses understanding.
  
  ** [47:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:30] - Blessing for Students and Educators
• [03:45] - Announcements and Community Life
• [08:20] - Bread Ministry and Acts of Grace
• [11:10] - Celebrating Gifts in the Church
• [13:30] - Introduction to Mark 4 and Discipleship
• [17:00] - What Faith Is and Isn’t
• [20:44] - Faith as a Divine Gift
• [28:03] - The Object of Faith: Jesus
• [30:00] - Jesus Calms the Storm: Humanity and Divinity
• [33:44] - Rest as a Declaration of Faith
• [36:49] - Jesus’ Authority Over Chaos
• [39:28] - The Lies Our Fears Tell Us
• [41:13] - Five Common Fears and God’s Truth
• [47:50] - Reordering Our Fears in Light of God’s Glory
• [51:00] - Application: Go to Sleep, God Is Awake
• [54:30] - Responding in Worship and Prayer
• [72:23] - Closing and Benediction

Bible Reading

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV) — 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
38 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?”
39 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.
40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
41 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?”

Observation Questions

1. What was Jesus doing during the storm, and how did the disciples react to the situation? (Mark 4:38)
2. What did Jesus do when the disciples woke him up, and what was the result? (Mark 4:39)
3. According to the sermon, what does Jesus’ sleep in the boat demonstrate about his humanity and his trust in God? [33:44]
4. What question did Jesus ask the disciples after calming the storm, and what was their response? (Mark 4:40-41)

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says faith is not something we muster up, but a gift from God. How does this understanding change the way someone might approach their doubts or struggles with faith? [20:44]
2. Why do you think Jesus chose to sleep during the storm instead of immediately calming it? What does this say about rest as an act of faith? [33:44]
3. The disciples’ fear led them to question if Jesus cared about them. What does this reveal about the lies fear can tell us about God’s character? [39:28]
4. After Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were “filled with great fear.” According to the sermon, how does encountering Jesus’ authority and glory reorder our fears? [47:50]

Application Questions

1. The sermon listed five common fears: failure, rejection, suffering, the future, and being truly known. Which of these fears do you most relate to, and what “lie” does that fear try to tell you about God or yourself? [41:13]
2. When you are in a “storm” (a time of chaos or anxiety), do you tend to try to control everything, withdraw, or bring your fears to Jesus? What would it look like for you to “wake Jesus up” in your situation? [39:28]
3. Jesus’ sleep in the storm was described as a declaration of trust in God’s care. How is your sleep lately? Are there worries or anxieties that keep you up at night? What would it look like to surrender those to God as an act of faith? [33:44]
4. The sermon said, “Go to sleep, God is awake.” What practical steps could you take this week to rest—physically, emotionally, or spiritually—in God’s care, even when life feels out of control? [51:00]
5. The disciples’ fear shifted from the storm to awe of Jesus’ power. Is there an area in your life where you need to let Jesus’ authority and presence “reorder” your fears? What would it look like to trust him more deeply there? [47:50]
6. The sermon emphasized that it’s not the strength of our faith, but the object of our faith—Jesus—that matters most. Are there ways you’ve been focusing on your own ability to believe, rather than on who Jesus is? How can you shift your focus this week? [28:03]
7. For those who serve in schools (students, teachers, staff): How can you enter this new season with confidence in God’s presence and love, rather than in your own abilities? What would it look like to trust God to work through you, even when you can’t speak openly about your faith? [00:30]