Storm Watch Series–Week 1
Here is the outline for our first lesson in the Storm Watch series. Middle School heard this last week and High School will hear it this week.
STORM WATCH (1): STORM WARNING
Bottom Line: Even during the storms, God is in control.
INTRO:
We all face situations where we are out of control.
Three situations everyone faces:
• You are currently in the middle of a storm
• A storm is coming and you don’t know about it
• You are just walking away from a storm that has blown through
TENSION:
We all face storms.
“In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV).
“He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45 NKJV).
When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens–and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground (Genesis 2:4-6 NIV).
Storms are both inevitable and unavoidable.
TRUTH:
Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:24-27 NIV).
But the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:24-31 NIV).
APPLICATION:
Jesus is in control during the storm; the storm isn’t in control.
Who is in control during the storm is important.
LANDING:
God is bigger than the storm.
