https://youtu.be/9skI5ojYUVU

Virtual Sermon Discussion Questions

#1. What is your biggest struggle with waiting?#2. Are you getting enough spiritual nourishment during this time? What things are comforting you?#3. What are you doing (specific acts) to spend your time wisely during this time?#4. Given that God is our comfort, who are you reaching out to comfort who may not know God?

14 Days of Waiting   (Acts 27:27-38)            *Verses in NKJV*

1. 14 days of waiting…

- The scripture today reminds of our current season, and

the “15 days to slow the spread”. The first few days felt like “snow days”. But

the last 2 weeks have turned into a time of anxiously waiting.

- Anxious, hypervigilant, trouble sleeping,

watching for updates daily wondering when life will be predictable and normal

again. Just riding out the “storm”, waiting for it to pass.

- Anxiety and Hypervigilance are basically what happens

when there is a constant triggering of the body’s fight or flight mechanism. (When

it lasts weeks or months, instead of just minutes.)

- Example: I remember

when Thad was in the hospital with pneumonia last year. I just stood there in

his room for 24 hours staring at his sleeping body, watching his vital signs on

the monitor, waiting for them to return to normal. Not sleeping, not eating,

not playing with my phone… just waiting.

- Maybe you have become

familiar with this hypervigilant feeling over the last 14 days.

- It’s actually a biological defense mechanism. When

threatened, and animal doesn’t sleep or eat or drink. It’s focused on the threat

until it passes. (Should only last seconds or minutes…)

- Drinking water and taking slow breaths actually causes

the brain to feel safe. Your body tells your brain that the threat must be

gone, or you wouldn’t stop to drink water or eat food.

- God has designed you in such a way, that if you will eat

of the “bread of life” and drink of the “living water”  you will have peace in the midst of the storm.

- Acts 27:33-34a, And as day was about to dawn,

Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you

have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore

I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival…

- Right now, we need spiritual nourishment for OUR survival.

2. Continuing in the Book of Acts…

- The Apostle Paul is still a prisoner, now on a ship

headed to Rome so he can plead his case before Caesar. The ship is now caught

in a fierce storm that has lasted 2 weeks. People are afraid!

- Acts 27:20, Now when neither sun nor stars

appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would

be saved was finally given up.

- Today’s verses are a continuation of the story.

- Read Acts 27:27-38

- Ethan preached last

week, and you should go back and listen to it. 2 things spoke to me:

- “Paul believed God!” and, “Are

you living like you believe God and the promise of His word?”

- Paul believed God!

- God has given us His word and promise, and that is our

foundation and hope during the storm.

- God didn’t calm their storm, he calmed their hearts. The