John 14:27-31. The world's peace and prosperity is temporary. But if your peace is in Jesus Christ, the son of God, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, your peace is untouchable, unshakeable and eternal.

Philippians 3:12-21. It's okay to struggle. It's okay to fall. It's okay that following Jesus is hard a lot of the time! We live in a world built to pull us away from Christ. But the goal is worth the struggle. Press on! 

Mark 5:25:34. Twelve years. How long have you lived with your conflict? How long since you gave up hoping for peace, or looking for peace despite the conflict? Reminder: Jesus is not the source of things that bring us peace. He is our peace. Changing perspective can change everything.

Mark 4:35-41. Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him? Now THAT is the right question... 

Luke 1:67-79. Jesus didn't come to lead us away from hardships. His peace is not the kind that avoids conflict. Rather, the peace Jesus brought was peace in spite of conflict. Psalm 23, the good shepherd doesn't lead his flock away from death, but through it because they are safe with him. 

Luke 2:8-14. Let me give you my working definition, and it’s incomplete and imperfect. Whole series of books have been written to define peace. But for sake of something we can bite down on for the next few weeks, peace is the lack of conflict.

Psalm 28. Power can be terrifying or brilliant. Passages like this, or Genesis 1 or Job 38 can be terrifying without understanding who God is, and what his relationship is to us. But in that context, these are sources of tremendous peace and rest for this Sabbath in the Psalms. 

John 14:15-31. Three waves of reasons to NOT be afraid. Jesus is leaving the disciples soon. He has been their counter to fear so far, so how can they NOT be afraid without him? He gives three reasons they do not need to fear in his apparent absence. 

Matthew 28:1-10. If Jesus is the counter to fear, and he died, Jesus as a story, as someone who lived a long time ago and said and did cool stuff doesn't do anything for my fear right here and now. But Jesus, risen from the dead, alive TODAY, with me TODAY, loving me TODAY… if I think about it, that counters my fear TODAY…