Storms

Starting point

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mark 6:30-34
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!"

Development of the idea

In the previous section we considered the privilege of drawing aside to spend time with God.
This passage reminds us that even when we're ‘in the boat' with Jesus, storms happen.

In Mark chapter 6, straight after the feeding of the 5,000 mentioned above, we read that Jesus sends the disciples on ahead in the boat. On that occasion when the storm arose, Jesus walked on the water to them.

John Ortberg's book suggests ‘If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat' based on the experience that Peter had, but the other disciples didn't.

Using these two passages, it might be suggested that if you want to walk on water, you've got to get into the boat in the first place! Those on shore would have experienced the same storm as it blew over, but those who were in the boat had a revelation of God in those moments in the storm. They discovered something of the power and authority of God in Christ that was not known to them before.

For us, there's no doubt that we would rather just read about it a book than go through life's ‘storms' - but we learn things about God in those tough times - His love, grace and strength available to us - that we don't learn any other way.

Prayer base

Click on the image to enlarge

Main focus was a representation of the stern of a boat, with a large cushion in it.
The backdrop was black sheeting, draped with cheap chiffon/gauze fabric in shades of grey and dull mauve and blue - trying to give a sense of stormy skies.

Pictures - views of storms from the internet. [samples in Appendix II ]

Other items

the passage printed on a card
sheets / cards with other Bible verses or verses from appropriate hymns.
[examples in Appendix II - but there are lots of others you might think of]
lighting for effect (including a decorative ‘storm lantern' with a night light inside it)
a Bible

Takeaway
small ‘pillows'(about 8 or 9 cm sq) made out of cream sheeting with a bit of cotton wool
inside - each pillow had a sticky address label with the verse ‘Jesus was sleeping
at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.' Mark 4:38

Card inviting people to take one of the pillows - Perhaps you might like to keep it on your
desk, bookshelf or kitchen window sill, as a reminder that Jesus is close by, even through
storms and turmoil.

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