Jesus Calms the Storm
Read Mark 4:35-41.
Today is the 4rd Sunday of Pentecost. During Pentecost, we grow closer to God and closer to one another.
This week, in our reading from the gospel of Mark, we hear about a time when Jesus went with his disciples in a boat as they went across a lake. While they crossed the lake a big storm came up.
Let’s watch this video together to hear what happened:
As Jesus and his disciples’ crossed the lake in a boat, a big storm arose. The waves were so big that water was getting into the boat and the disciples were afraid the boat would sink and they would drown. Jesus, who was tired after a long day of teaching, was asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat. The disciples’ woke Jesus up and said,”Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to die?” Jesus said to the wind and the waves, “Peace. Be still.” Suddenly, everything was calm.
When the disciples were afraid because of the storm that they were facing, they were not alone, Jesus was with them, right in the boat. When we face difficult times, we are not alone either. Jesus is with us. Jesus has promised that he will always be with us. In fact, there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love in Jesus. God calls us to be there for other people as well. When we are able, we are called to walk alongside others in love just as Jesus walks alongside us.
Today is Father’s Day. Today we remember and give thanks for the dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other men who make a difference in our lives and are there for us when we need them. We remember that Jesus is always there for us and Jesus is always with us, from the time we are born until we join him in heaven forever.
Discuss
- What storms (difficult times) have happened in your life? How did you deal with them?
- What makes you feel peaceful and calm?
- The disciples were afraid of the storm. What makes you afraid?\
Song
Shelter in a Time of Storm. Go Fish Guys.
Activity
Will it sink or float? Learn some facts about whether something will sink or float and why that it is. The disciples were afraid their boat was going to sink because it was being filled with water. Jesus called the storm and saved them.
Activity
You will need two bowls of water, a small plastic boat, and a spoon. Pray about a difficult situation. Put your boat in the first bowl of water and stir it very quickly to create a storm in the bowl. Tell God about your problem. Move your boat to the second bowl and let it float gently. Ask God to help you with your problem.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, when we find ourselves in the midst of things that are hard or when we are afraid, help us remember that you are always with us, just like you were with the disciples in the boat during the storm. We pray in your name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home. There will be a new one for each Sunday while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings. Contact him at dfugate@iksynod.org.