Peace Be Still: Calm Down

In one paragraph

On Father's Day, Pastor Neil walked through the account of Jesus calming the storm, drawing mainly from Mark's telling of the story. He used it to continue themes from the previous week in 1 Peter about casting your cares on God and walking by faith. The central question he kept returning to was this: when life is frightening and it feels like Jesus is asleep, are you calling out to him? Pastor...

Read together

1. Hebrews 4:16 quoted at the opening to invite the congregation to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and help
2. Colossians 3:16 quoted during the offering as a call to let the message about Christ fill your lives
3. Matthew 8:23-27 read as the first of three gospel accounts of Jesus calming the storm
4. Luke 8:22-25 read as the second of three gospel accounts of Jesus calming the storm
5. Mark 4:35-41 read and preached as the primary text for the sermon on Jesus calming the storm
6. 1 Peter 5:6-10 referenced as the previous week's sermon text about humbling yourself and casting your cares on the Lord
7. 1 Peter 5:7 quoted directly as cast all your cares on him because he cares for you, with Peter linked to the storm narrative

Talk about it

1. Pastor Neil mentioned John Newton inviting William Cowper to write hymns together, and how that turned Cowper's focus from his own failures to the glory of God. Has there been a time when shifting your attention outward to God's character pulled you through a dark season? What did that look like for you?
2. In Mark's version of the story, the disciples say 'Teacher, don't you care that we are dying?' Have you ever found yourself asking God something like that? What was going on in your life at the time?
3. Pastor Neil said Jesus intentionally takes us into storms so that we will trust in him, not just that he calms storms once we are already in them. How does that idea sit with you, and does it change how you think about a hard season you have been through?
4. The sermon described fighting fear with fear, meaning shifting your fear away from your circumstances and toward the Lord who can actually do something about them. What makes that shift difficult in the middle of a real storm?
5. Peter wrote 'cast all your cares on him because he cares for you,' and Pastor Neil noted Peter was probably thinking back to this very boat. Is there something you have been hesitant to bring to God because it feels too small or too personal? What would it take to actually cast that on Him?