Saturday, February 5, 2011

Week 2 - Nothing Personal


Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT


Peter was the one disciple who found the courage to go over the side of the boat and walk on top of the water to meet Jesus. Without a doubt, it was one of the more formative moments of his relationship with God and this would influence the rest of His life.
But Jesus and Peter didn’t walk the rest of the way to the shore; they – both of them – climbed back into the boat, rejoining the others who were there. When they climbed aboard, the storm stopped. That’s what the story says. Peter’s leap of faith brought peace and presence to his entire community of disciples. One person’s trust.
Though the journey begins with an individual choice to receive the love of God, Christianity is not a personal or private faith. Whether or not you trust God, or how much you trust Him, is not your own private affair. Your trust in God, or lack of it, always impacts others around you.
Peter’s example shows us that if we are willing to open up in trust to the greater possibilities of God’s presence, we will bring the Savior into places that have become fearful and dangerous, to circumstances that are confused, and to people who are lost and hurting. In sharing our walk with God, we give others the gift of seeing what their faith may not have been ready yet to see on their own. And by this living out loud and together, God will be made recognizable as a saving presence among us.
That is what happened out on the sea that night. God showed up, one person trusted, and everyone was changed. This is the story we are called to live in as well.
The Real Question: Do I live my trust in God out loud? Do others see and experience God’s saving presence more because of the way I live?
Family Talk:  Share with your kids how their faith has encouraged your own faith.  Express to your children how much you love and appreciate them just as they are. 
ONE in Prayer: God, help me to appreciate the significance of my trust in You, not just for myself but also for others. I want to be the one who brings You back into the boat of our world so that all may see God for Who He is. Amen.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Week 2 - Trusting Presence



Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT


Over the roar of crashing waves that night, Jesus said to the disciples, “Take courage. It is I!”
The radical truth about Jesus is that He does not reveal God to be one who insists on everything being cleaned up and calmed down before He will show up. No. Our God shows up where we might least expect Him – or want Him, sometimes – right in the middle of all that’s going wrong. And this is what gives Jesus’ words such power. He was not speaking some platitude or cliché from a safe distance; He was inside the storm with His friends.
It was Jesus’ presence with His friends that opened a way for them through their fear into a new experience of a reality greater than the one that was swamping them at the moment.
As we weather storms and times of deep transition in our lives, if we listen closely, we might hear the Spirit of Jesus say to us, “Remember, this is ME you’re talking to! Remember that I am the one who loves deeply, who calms the sea. I care for the hungry, the hurting, and the broken. I am your friend, and I am right here.”
As human beings prone to fear, the first step toward trusting God is to receive the courage He gives to us in the form of His presence. When we remember that the Prince of Peace walks with us as our friend, we can let go of fear in anything we face. And, like Peter, we may find ourselves doing things we never imagined possible.
The Real Question: Have I fully received God’s presence into my life this day? Where might I trust Him more if I did?
Family Talk:  When do you feel God is closest? 
ONE in Prayer:  Jesus, it is amazing that You come to me in the midst of my troubles, pain, and brokenness, but I know that it is Your love that makes all things well. Help me to remember Your love and presence are with me as I learn to trust you more. Amen.



I don't really have a choice but to trust God in our efforts to start a family.  It is obvious that we are NOT in control.  He is.  He is the creator.  As much as I think I want to start a family of our own, I don’t want to manufacture it myself out of my own efforts.  I feel this putting distance between me and God.  This has changed from asking God specifically for a child to a more general approach of trusting and asking Him to reveal his purpose in my life.  Blessing us with a child may or may not be part of that, but there is still a purpose and a plan.  I have simplified contentment in my heart.  Contentment is simply that God has already given me everything when He offered salvation to me. 
– Twila

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Week 2 - Trust, Not Clarity


Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT


A story is told of a man who, in trying to discern a new direction for his life, went to work for several months with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He thought that being apart from his life and devoting time to something entirely different might help him with his deep questions and doubts about where his life should take him next.
After weeks of serving the sick and dying, the day came when this man finally met Mother Teresa, as he had been hoping to do all along. She asked him how she could pray for him. He replied, “Mother, pray that I will have clarity on what it is God wants me to do with my life,” and then he began sharing about his complex questions and concerns for what lay ahead.
Mother Teresa waited for him to stop talking and then replied, “No, I will not pray for that. I will not pray for you to have clarity. I will pray that you will trust God. I have served Him for many years, and I have never had clarity, but I have trusted Him. That is what you must do.”
In her own way, this simple woman had come to know the art of walking on water with God. She learned that clarity never saved a life; trust is what is needed.  Peter learned this as he began to sink within Jesus’ reach. As we all live within the reach of Jesus, we must learn this as well.
The Real Question: Do I insist on fully understanding God before I can trust Him?
Family Talk:  What questions do you have about God?  Remind your kids that questions and doubts are not bad, they are normal and a part of growing as a person. 
ONE in Prayer: God, help me to let go of my need to understand before I put my trust in you. Help me to remember that I live within your reach. Amen.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Week 2 - A Perfectly Good Boat


Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT

Peter could well have been a raving lunatic. He stepped out of a boat, in a storm, at night. He didn’t even have a clear view that it was Jesus out on the water; he needed to yell to see if it was Him. And he surely couldn’t explain what he thought he was seeing – Jesus walking on the stormy sea.

We know from the whole of the story that Peter wasn’t crazy, but he was dispossessed of himself. When Peter stepped out, he let go of self-concern and left a perfectly good boat, a boat that Jesus had told him to get into just a few hours earlier. It would not necessarily have been disobedient for Peter to stay in the boat; he was right where Jesus had told him to be. But Peter was rightly focused on the Person more than the predictable path.

It is interesting to wonder what the disciples who stayed in the boat might say to us. Perhaps it might be this: “Don’t miss it. If you live with Jesus long enough, He is likely to invite you out into strange, uncertain places for the opportunity to experience Him in incredible ways. He does this just for love. And when He does this, very often, it will be your choice whether or not you draw nearer or remain where He put you. It may be more about desire than obedience, because ultimately, God wants our hearts, not just our good behavior. He may call you beyond the structure that He has given to your life; He may let you step out of a perfectly good boat.”

The Real Question: What good things in my life might God invite me to step out of so that I can encounter Him in a new way?

Family Talk: Talk with your kids about the difference between good, better and best. Give an example of giving up something good in order to receive something better.

ONE in Prayer: Lord, help me not to cling to the things that You have given to me or called me to more than I cling to You. I want to meet you wherever You are. Amen.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Week 2 - Learning to Walk


Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT


They were not sinking. Many of them were skilled, life-long fishermen. They were “fighting the waves;” they were dealing with the storm. They could have struggled through, sailed on, and met Jesus on the other side. And that was what Jesus had told them to do; that was the expectation to which almost all of the disciples were clinging. Except for Peter. He let go of his expectation just long enough to catch a glimpse of God on the move.

In that moment, Peter had a decision to make. Did he just want to get from point A to point B and hook up with Jesus on the other side, or was he ready to encounter Jesus in a new, unscripted way? His heart didn’t hesitate. He wanted to be with Jesus, wherever He was, even if it seemed impossible, even if it didn’t make sense. He wasn’t satisfied to be with Jesus eventually; Peter wanted to be with Jesus now.

His inspired excitement wasn’t quite enough to get him there, however. Peter sank up to his neck in forgetfulness, momentarily losing sight of Who it was he was walking toward. But Jesus’ presence was real – not just a ghost as the disciples had feared – and He intervened. Jesus called Peter back to the awareness that although in a strange place, he was walking with God. That’s the reality that was keeping his head above water.

Maybe following Jesus is not about mustering up enough faith to be able to follow God with perfection. If we wait until we get our belief together, we may miss the encounter. Perhaps following Jesus begins with stepping out to inhabit God’s faith in us, so that we can grow with God, not just toward Him.

The Real Question: Where have I been trying to get it together before I trust God? Am I ready to step out to meet God where He’s waiting for me?

Family Talk: Share with your kids what is was like watching them take their first steps. If you don’t remember, share with them from another experience you observed them growing up (losing a tooth, learning to talk, going to school, etc.) Share with them how you believed in them, even when they doubted themselves.

ONE in Prayer: God, help me not to be satisfied with going through the motions. Help me to catch a vision for where You are moving and working in the world. I want to walk with You as I grow and serve in Your name. Amen


 My wife and I no longer felt good about parenting our children from a legalistic paradigm. We felt instead we were to spend more time with our children, loving them, talking with them about matter of the heart and praying God would capture their hearts.  Moving away from a rule based approach was scary and hard at first, but God has been faithful.  Our children appear to be growing in their love for God and other people.  And they are not operating under a dualistic paradigm which legalism tends to walk hand in hand with.

 –Jamie

Monday, January 31, 2011

Family Activity - The Boat and a Storm


Depending on the age of your family members, the origami boat activity can take several angles and go to different depths. The end goal is to discuss trusting God, as Peter had to trust Jesus in this week's scripture (Matthew 14:22-32).

To begin with, create an origami boat for each participant. For older children and adult family members, this can be part of the fun. If you have younger ones, you may want to have these ready to go before you bring them in on the activity. 

There are several online resources for creating simple origami boats:
Origami-fun offers step-by-step diagrams
Kobo Design also has a good diagram
FoldSomething shares a great video on youtube as well

Once the boats are created, encourage everyone to personalize their boat. They can add stickers, color them, whatever makes them personal. For older children and adults, this is a good time to read the scripture aloud and discuss Peter's trust. Perhaps each person could write a few things they need to trust God with on the inside of their boat, to represent Peter's hesitation to step out.

For younger children, allow a few extra minutes (and perhaps a few standby extra boats) as they explore how the boats float by placing them in a tub of water.

As a group, read the story from this week's scripture and discuss how scary it would be for the disciplines to be in a boat during the storm, and how much Peter had to trust Jesus.

Once the story has been shared, make a storm in the tub of water. Rain can be created by a watering can, wind from a hair drier or agitating the water by stirring from the sides. For young ones (or older participants as well) add dramatic fun by hollering out as the disciples might have for help.

After the storm subsides, and the cleaning begins, it can be helpful to have the children draw a picture of the story, to ensure they understood the message and perhaps to hang in a visible place to remind everyone about TRUST.

Please consider sharing the drawings created, or photos of your family making a storm for their origami boats. You can send the images to asone.lakeland@gmail.com or bring them to Katie Schultz at Lakeland any upcoming Sunday morning.

[**Please be cautious when using a hair drier to create the wind for the storm. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Safety first!*]

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Week 2 - God Trusts Us

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT


Walking on water was not Jesus’ first miracle. In fact, it was not really unlike Him. From day one of His ministry, Jesus’ followers had seen Him make a habit of bending the rules over backwards, so taking a stroll on the lake was just Jesus being Himself.

No, the miracle of this night was not the ability of the Savior; the miracle was Peter’s trust in Him. After all that he had seen and experienced, even within the preceding 24 hours, Peter finally got it. He understood that Jesus was the One he was supposed to trust in – not in the rules of religion, not in the political power systems, not even in the natural order of things. It was all about Jesus, who He was and Peter’s connection to Him.

So, Peter took the risk. Despite the storm, despite the fear in himself and in his friends, despite the vague resemblance of the strange figure out on the water in the dark, Peter called out the name of his friend, Jesus, and threw his heart out onto the water. Then, his feet followed.

Why might Jesus have taken this unconventional walk that night? Perhaps He was giving His friends a chance to exercise the kind of trust they had watched Him have in His Father all day long. Perhaps He was inviting them to have the same kind of relationship with Him.

God is not codependent; He does not manipulate us into trusting Him. But He is consistently present, always waiting, offering to be at our side, seeking deeper relationship with us. God trusts us to come to Him. He knows that it is difficult, but He believes that we have what it takes to follow Him. So He waits on the water, walking where we cannot miss Him, ready to welcome us closer.

The Real Question: What difference does it make to know that God trusts me? Where might I walk with Him if I knew He had confidence in me?

Family Talk: While it is important to believe in God, perhaps it is more important to realize God believes in you! How does it make you feel to know that God believes in you?

ONE in Prayer: God, I humbly receive Your trust in me. May Your love draw me beyond where I am to where You are walking in the world. Help me to return Your trust and Your love with courage and faith. Amen.

Week 2 - An Inconvenient Trust



Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:22-32, NLT

It had been a very long day. It began with the painful news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by the king as part of a twisted party game. John was a cousin to Jesus and the first to affirm who He was and His ministry; his death was a tragic and personal loss.

Jesus tried to get some space to grieve, but the crowds pressed and followed Him anyway. The day became late and the people were hungry. So, this also became the day when more than 5,000 people were miraculously fed from five small loaves and two fish, with leftovers to spare.

The passage says that as soon as the makeshift meal was over, Jesus told His disciples to get back in the boat and sail across; He needed time alone with His heavenly Father. And this is where our story of trust picks up – in the midst of pain and loss and never-ending work and exhaustion and longing for God.

So often, we somehow get the idea that trust is the result of things going well. We say to ourselves, “As soon as things get settled, then I’ll be able to trust God with this or that.” Perhaps we have confused certainty with trust. Trust steps out precisely when things aren’t certain or under control or convenient.

Trust looks beyond present circumstance to a Person. The Psalmist says it this way:
“Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” [Psalm 20:7]

It was on this imperfect, difficult day that Jesus invited His disciples to step into a new trust in Him. We can expect that in similar moments in our lives, Jesus again will show up in unexpected ways and places, inviting us to grow in trusting God as well.

The Real Question: What is holding back my trust in God right now? Where is He inviting me to trust Him more?

Family Talk: Share with your kids what you have learned about trusting God. Give a specific example.

ONE in Prayer: God of All, help me to remember who You are, even on my worst days. Let me hear your invitation to trust You, and know that You can be trusted. Amen.



God asked me to trust Him with who I was going to marry. I had dated a guy off and on for 6 years. He didn't have the qualities I wanted in a husband, but I so desperately wanted him to "get it" so that I could marry him. I finally gave it to the Lord and let go of the relationship. When I did, God felt so near to me even though it was very difficult. A few years later, I married my best friend who had all the qualities I had prayed for in a husband plus many more. God knew, better than I did, what I wanted and what was best for me. I thank God over and over again for giving me the strength to trust Him.
- Sarah

Week 2 - TRUST

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:22-32, NLT