Key points
- 1
1Jesus leads His followers into storms — not away from them — because storms are what grow faith.
- 2
2Christians are not exempt from storms, but they are exempt from storms with no purpose — God never wastes our difficult days.
“Christians aren't exempt from storms but you are. We are exempt from storms with no purpose”
“storms help to make the sailors sturdy and trials help to make Christians strong in their faith”
Illustration
A quote from Charles Spurgeon: 'Storms help to make the sailors sturdy and trials help to make Christians strong in their faith.'
- 3
3Jesus is present in the boat with us even when He seems silent; His peace in the storm is an invitation for us to share that same peace as a witness to the world.
“it's only when something's been tested, can it be trusted”
Illustration
An analogy about a new-build home where the construction materials have never been tested, illustrating why untested things cannot be trusted.
- 4
4A mark of spiritual maturity is moving more quickly from panic to peace each time a storm comes.
“I think real faith is the ability to expect a miracle in the middle of a mess”
- 5
5Mustard-seed faith — small and seemingly insignificant — placed in Jesus's hands is enough to move mountains and make nothing impossible.
“Don't forget the power of the one that's with you on this journey”
- 6
6The storm existed to bring the disciples to the pivotal question: 'Who is this man?' — the most important question every person must answer.
“little faith over time can become really big faith, and then we can begin to pray and believe that God can do incredibly more than we could ever hope or imagine”
A story from life
Story about a childhood neighbor named David whose unexpectedly powerful kickball kick changed how the whole cul-de-sac regarded him.
Application
Pastor Daniel calls each of us to answer the same question the disciples asked after the storm: 'Who is this man?' — not theoretically, but personally. If Jesus is who Scripture says He is, then His presence in the boat with us changes everything. The practical challenge is threefold: First, trust the promise — Jesus said we are going to the other side, so hold onto that in your storm. Second, bring whatever small faith you have and place it in His hands rather than waiting until your faith feels big enough. Third, measure your growth not by how many Bible verses you've memorized, but by how quickly you move from panic to peace the next time a storm erupts — because a faith that has been tested is a faith that can be trusted.
