Date: December 17, 2017
Jesus Rules
The Point: You can trust Jesus in the storm.
Get Into the Study
Use this story to introduce Question 1.
NASA just launched a new $1.6 billion polar weather satellite. It is the first of four planned satellites intended to assist in reliable weather forecasts for the next two decades. Similar technology was used this year during hurricane season to make weather predictions that alerted residents to potential threats and necessary evacuations. According to Louis W. Uccellini, director of the National Weather Service, “Polar satellites are the only way to obtain global temperature and moisture measurements, and they are the backbone of the global observing system that we use to make these predictions of extreme events.”
Ask: What’s the craziest weather you’ve experienced?
In this session, we will be reminded that Jesus is in control. He is God. He created the weather and He controls the storms. We can trust Jesus in the storm.
Nikki Wilbanks is a stay-at-home mom, writer, Bible study leader, and commercial real estate appraiser/investor. She graduated from Pepperdine University, and lives with her husband and two children in Murfreesboro, TN.
Get Into the Study (Activity)
Supplement “The Bible Meets Life” by playing a clip from a disaster movie with extremely severe and damaging weather—hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, and so on. After playing the clip, encourage group members to share any emotions they experienced while watching. Here’s an example:
[This idea supports the group plan in the Adult Leader Guide.]
Live It Out
Use the following article and discussion to wrap up today’s session.
For three years in a row, Chapman University in Orange, California has conducted a survey of more than 1,500 people to research American fears. The following fears received the highest percentages of participants personally claiming them in 2016 (full list not included here):
- Corruption of government officials (same top fear as 2015) — 60.6%
- Terrorist attacks — 41%
- People I love dying — 38.1%
- Identity theft — 37.1%
- People I love becoming seriously ill — 35.9%
Christopher Baden, Chapman University professor and survey team leader, noted this important insight regarding the results: “People often fear what they cannot control, and we find continued evidence of that in our top fears.”
Discuss the following questions with your group:
- What should be pragmatically different for Christians in their approach to the uncontrollable variables of life?
- How can the reality of Jesus’ eternal rule and reign comfort your heart in uncontrollable times?
Ask learners to narrow on one fear that impacts their lives at least on a weekly basis and challenge them to invest significant prayer and Bible reading in an effort to begin surrendering this fear.
Emily Jennings (Master of Arts, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary 2009) lives and serves in the greater Atlanta area. She is wife to Brian and mom to three wonderful boys. She teaches the Bible to 8th grade girls at First Baptist Church Woodstock. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @emilyejenn
Additional Questions
Icebreaker
- What do you do when a big storm hits?
- As you were growing up, where was your safe place when a storm occurred?
- On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “not much” and 10 being “terrified,” how much do storms scare you? Why?
Mark 4:35-37
- Why does following Jesus not exempt us from the storms of life?
- How would you describe the scene as Jesus and his disciples stepped into their boats?
- What is something God has asked you to do that resulted in a storm in your life?
Mark 4:38-39
- How does this passage illuminate that Jesus was fully Man and fully God?
- Describe times Jesus has silenced and stilled storms in your life.
- How do you feel in the storm and how does that change when God intervenes?
Mark 4:40-41
- Should Jesus’ authority challenge or comfort us? Explain.
- How do Jesus’ questions to the disciples convict or challenge you?
- What qualities of Jesus inspire faith in difficult situations?
Member Extra
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Video
Here’s a brief video giving you an overview of this session: Jesus Changes Everything, Session 3.
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