The Perfect Storm: When Jesus Feels Far Away

Series Description: What do you do when you find yourself in the middle of a storm you never signed up for? A marriage that’s fallen apart, another job that fell through, nights and storms that seem like they’ll never end - and your kids are caught up in the middle of the crossfire. It can feel like you’re in the middle of the storm, wondering if anyone sees you - if anybody cares. That may just be how the disciples felt as they found themselves without Jesus in the middle of the lake, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm they never wanted to be in. But that’s exactly when Jesus shows up - not after the mess, but in the midst of it. And what looks like the perfect storm of disaster actually turns into the perfect storm to reveal a perfect God.

Sermon Description:

If you’ve ever felt like God just wasn’t there at the worst possible time, you’re not alone. The disciples were doing exactly what Jesus had told them to do, and they still ended up in the middle of a lake, alone at night in a massive storm - with no Jesus in sight. But what if God didn’t forget you in the midst of your storm? What if He is using the storm to redirect our focus - to put our trust fully in Him? Because even when God feels far away, He calls us to trust Him no matter what, and we’ll find that when we do trust God, He is always closer than we think. At the end of the day, Jesus is inviting us all to trust Him, saying, “Take courage. I am here!”.

Passage: Matthew 14:22-27; Romans 8:35-39

Speaker: Kevin Stiles