* Spiritually speaking, storms don’t make you sink - focus does.

* There are two types of storms - the kind God sends and the kind Satan sends.

* Like what he did when God allowed him to test Job (lightning & tornado).

* God allowed him to do it, and Job came out on the other side clinging to his faith.

* He proved faithful in the test.

* Backstory - Jesus poured Himself into His disciples, so they would be prepared to weather any storm.

* He was teaching and healing, now it was time to cast out demons.

* But He needed to go to the “other side” of the lake for that.

* He could’ve walked around - but He was picking a fight.

* Vs 23-24a - “Suddenly” a storm came up - these professional fishermen never saw it coming.

* Storms don’t “suddenly happen in the natural - only the supernatural.

* I imagine the devil saying to God, “These dudes will never continue to follow Jesus after they see how hard life is when they stick with Him. Let me hit them with a storm and I’ll prove it.”

* God responds, “I’ll let you do it, but you know how powerless it will be when my Son wakes up!”

* Vs 24b - Jesus wasn’t concerned about the fight headed His way.

* He was restful after His work and peaceful heading into more work.

* Sometimes in our lives a storm “suddenly” happens with no warning and no build up.

* How do we respond?

* Vs 25 - these professional fishermen “freaked out!

* True faith doesn’t freak out - it controls the emotions.

* True faith involves more than just believing God can do something, it’s walking in authority as you believe it.

* Vs 26a - “Why are you afraid?” Get to the root of your fear.

* They should’ve known if Jesus was in the boat they wouldn’t sink - His time had not yet come.

* Vs 26b - they asked to get out of their situation and Jesus gave it to them.

* Imagine Christ’s response if He woke up on His own and found them shoveling buckets of water out of the boat while thanking God out loud that He was the master of the storm!

* Vs 27 - Jesus revealed more of Himself to them.

* He had healed the sick and cast out demons and multiplied food and wine, but had not yet did anything to control the weather.

* The beauty of a storm is that you will always see God in a new light - you’ll come to know Him better!

* When the storm comes, what do we do?

* Ask two questions:

* 1) Did I bring this on myself? (Self-inflicted storms come from God)

* 2) Is Jesus in my boat? (What’s His posture?)