Prayer (5 Minutes)
- Have each family member complete this sentence in prayer: "Dear God, when I am afraid, help me remember that You..." (This allows children to express their trust in God's different attributes and care.)
Song (5 Minutes)
Catechism (5 minutes)
Have everyone read aloud simultaneously or allow everyone to try to answer before revealing the answer.
Q47: Does the Lord’s Supper add anything to Christ’s atoning work?
A: No, Christ died once for all. (1 Peter 3:18)
A: No, Christ died once for all. (1 Peter 3:18)
Questions from: https://newcitycatechism.com/. Go there to start from beginning or to read more.
Scripture (5 Minutes)
Mark 4:35–41 (NLT)
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
The Sea of Galilee
Discussion (5-10 Minutes)
You can lead through a teaching or use the following questions to start a discussion:
- How could Jesus sleep during such a big storm? What does this tell us about Him?
- Why were the disciples afraid? Have you ever been afraid during a storm?
- What did Jesus do to stop the storm? What does this show us about His power?
- The disciples asked, "Who then is this?" How would you answer their question?
- When we face "storms" in our lives (hard times), how can remembering this story help us?
Closing Prayer (3 Minutes)
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us Your amazing power over creation. When we are afraid, help us remember that You are in control of everything - even the wind and waves. Give us faith to trust You even when life feels stormy. We praise You as our mighty God who cares for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.