Silence
1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.
Praise and Thanksgiving
1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile
2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3. Open your heart to praise the Lord
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Psalm 29:1-2
Confession and repentance
1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:
“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
The Word
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:23-27
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
My Listening
Following yesterday's message, if following Jesus is really your first priority and everything is Jesus first, then you will surely experience Jesus authority in your life. This new authority can come right from Jesus just like this passage because He is so close to you. Or, this new authority is given by Jesus to you just like He gave to the Twelve according to Matthew 10: 1:
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
As Jesus' disciples, do you have that kind of trust in Jesus that He is the sovereign one who has authority over everything? When people see the new authority we have, would they say, "What kind of people they are?"
What I got from Jesus today is a powerful word to show us His authority. The closer we are with Him, the more power and authority He can exercise His authority through us.
But, most people choose to be close to darkness, hopeless and fear. We choose to belittle Jesus and so belittle ourselves. Repent, don't belittle Jesus! Be close to Him and you will see how great He is! Be close to Him so that He can give His authority to you to calm the winds and the waves of our crisis.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to try all our best to be close to you so that we can experience your total authority and to receive this new authority from you to calm the storm. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Reflect on these questions:
1. Can you share one personal example of how you experienced Jesus authority recently?
2. As Jesus' disciples, do you have that kind of trust in Jesus that He is the sovereign one who has authority over everything?
3. Do you think sometimes you choose to belittle Jesus and so belittle yourself? How can you change this kind of mentality?
Family Corner:
1. Share your story of how Jesus calmed the storm in your most insecure moment of your life.
2. Get an opportunity to share with your family members how often we belittle Jesus and ourselves.
2. Get an opportunity to share with your family members how often we belittle Jesus and ourselves.
Praise and Thanksgiving
Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:
10,000 Reasons
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