STORM ALERT

Early this morning I sent my middle child off on a school trip to Washington DC. As all of the families gathered around before the sun even began to rise, we all could see the lightning in the sky with the approaching STORM that was headed our way. I listened as the parents gathered there spoke about being prepared for the round of bad STORMS later today and as I listened, I couldn't help but think about this on a spiritual level.
If you look in Luke 8:22-25, you will see a story about a STORM. It is a familiar story that many of us know of but there are some hidden jewels in there that can apply to us all...especially today for all of us here in the Middle Tennessee area.
The truth is that we much like the weathermen do not know exactly when or where STORMS may hit. We can have an idea sometimes but often times, they can just pop up and even be much larger and last longer than we could have ever imagined. So, you and I must have a plan in place for when the STORMS of life show up because truth be known, you have either gone through a STORM, are going through a STORM or there is one brewing on the horizon! So what do you do when the STORMS of life come?
#1 Understand that God Knows the Outcome...Verse 22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with his disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. Amazing thought here is that before the STORM ever showed up that Jesus told his disciples in that boat that they were going to the other side...Jesus knew the outcome before the first rain drop fell!
#2 You Are Gonna Get Wet...Verse 23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. The Bible says in Matthew 5:45 that it rains on the just and the unjust...With that being said, just because you are a christian doesn't make you exempt from the STORMS of life. You may not be able to choose the STORMS you go through but you can choose how you go through those STORMS!
#3 Take Your Fears To Jesus...Verse 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. I guess the big question is who do you go to when the STORMS of life come? These men had the right idea about what to do with their fear...they took it to Jesus! Notice that the scripture says that He rebuked the wind and waves and they ceased...they stopped! The Bible then goes on to say that there was a calm! Could it be that that calm was not of the wind and waves but a calm that came over those men who were in fear? Why...because they took it to Jesus! 1 Peter 5:7 says to cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for you!
#4 Have Faith for Future Storms...Verse 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this? For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. The final lesson these disciples learned while out on this boat was that Jesus calmed this STORM and that he has control over every area of our lives, including the STORMS.

So what do you do when the STORMS come? Are You Ready? There is a STORM ALERT and what you need to do is have a game plan, and be ready because the plan of Jesus is to take us to the other side! Trust in Him. Run to Him. Have Faith in Him!

See You @ The River...Pastor John