In Mark 4, Jesus famously shows himself to be Lord of the Storm, but this is not merely a raw display of power. There's something bigger than the storm going on with his disciples: "Teacher, don't you care?!" Are you apathetic, Jesus? Do our lives not matter? He is actively cultivating something that was lacking in his followers: awe. The storm had their awe... but did Jesus? Without deep reverence and awe of Christ, he will never be a life-transforming joy to us. Without it, our faith will remain peripheral, merely conceptual, and even perfunctory. So how do we recover that awe and - with it - our joy? Let's talk about Jesus asleep in the boat.
Discussion Questions
That kid was talking to the biggest skateboarder of all time and he didn’t know it! Have you ever been in the midst of greatness and didn’t know it?
In the recorded-video sermon, Pastor Russ gave some rationale why you can’t take this miracle in Mark 4:35-41 as myth. Did you find his reasons compelling? Do you accept all of the Bible’s miracles as historical events? None of these things happened? Some but not all of the miracles happened?
Don’t You Care?
When have you wondered if God cared? Was your despair over His apparent absence or that He didn’t care? Were you able to express that to Him, or did you wallow in isolated silence? Can you be honest with God about what you think of Him?
Jesus led them into a storm. When has following Jesus taken you into scary territory? Have you ever been burned, short-changed, or suffered while following Jesus? Did that moment make you jaded or cynical?
Where Is Your Faith?
When we are under pressure, in the vice, or threatened, our insides come out – we get exposed. When has this happened to you? When you went through one of your most stressful moments in life, what came out of you?
Talk about a time when you weathered a storm, and it made you closer to Jesus and stronger in your faith. What exactly happened that made you stronger in your faith?
Who Is This?
The disciples knew of storms, but they didn’t know of the power with them there in the boat. Have you ever been overwhelmed by God, beyond anything you’ve ever experienced? When have you truly been in awe of God?
When have you been covered and protected by God’s ability and presence, even when you were facing something that threatened to destroy you or your way of life? Encourage someone in your group with your experience: What was it like for you to trust in a hard moment?
Gospel: The wind and the waves crashed on Jesus so we could be protected. Jonah was saved from drowning and so were the disciples. Even though our faith is weak, God chooses not to squash us. Rather, He encourages our faith along.
