The Fruit LIFE - Fall Series pt. 4
Can you experience rest in your soul? Do you feel like the peace in your life is more like a roller-coaster ride than floating down a lazy river? Peace can be a hard thing to grasp. Sometimes, we think when there are no problems, no concerns, no worries, or fears, that we have found peace. But then! It happens - LIFE! Join in as we talk about the One Who “even the wind and waves obey”. Let Him calm the storms of your life.
Diana’s Notes
Jesus Teaches the Disciples about Peace
Well, Welcome to Heartfelt Conversations with Diana! If you have kids or grandkids that you spent Halloween with, I hope you enjoyed your time together and your weather was as beautiful wherever you are as it was here. It started out a bit rainy in the morning and then it just turned into a really pretty fall day. I really love this time of the year!!
Last week we kicked off chatting about Peace, and Peace can be a hard thing to grasp. Sometimes, we think when there are no problems, no concerns, no worries, or fears, that we have found peace. But what we are actually experiencing is a little reprieve, a little rest, a good season. A good day, but Peace, the Peace Jesus said He left us- is a position that your heart and soul seem to naturally take when we LEARN to not receive fear, stress, anxiousness, worry, and instead, our hearts say… NOPE, not this time, I’m not going to surrender and give up my peace to let go and grab onto all these negative feelings that make me feel bad, worse, ruin my day and then things seem to work out and even if they don’t I survive—I’m still here—so why am I allowing myself to always fall for this trap. Because that is exactly what it is—an emotional trap. If you have Jesus, you have His peace. We just need to learn what it is and then learn our triggers that try to steal it from us.
Last week as we were wrapping up, I mentioned that Jesus had to teach His disciples about Peace. I find comfort in following the interactions between Jesus and His disciples, because they had a lot of the same struggles as we do and I find it comforting that Jesus is experienced in helping some of us who seem to struggle more than others! LOL
I very much can relate to some of the disciples more than others. I tend to relate to Peter—full of passion, but can react quickly sometimes and passion can be released as anger, short-tempered, impulsive…
Jesus taught the disciples not to focus on the fear of the seen, but rather “take heart” upon the unseen. Jesus tells us to take heart because He has overcome the world. He controls the outcome, we find our rest, our peace in knowing He is in control of the outcome and thankfully it does not depend on our behavior or attitude, the governments, leaders, or any other power, or what the world might say. When we put our faith into action we find it is like a muscle and when we stretch it, work it, it develops and grows. So when we put what we learn from following Jesus into practice by having faith and trusting God, THEN God’s Peace, peace that can not be taken away from you, will begin to rise up from deep within and you will be able to overcome anything life may throw at you!!
**Philippians 4:9** in the NLT says:
KEEP putting into practice all you have learned and received from me—everything you heard me and saw me doing. THEN, the God of peace will be with you.
We don’t run or hide from our weakness from the storms of life, but when we know God, and every day we are growing in the characteristics of God, and that we have His Peace by practicing it, by fixing our eyes on Jesus and learning of Him— when we know God’s Method of Operations—then it is easy to say, “I am weak in this area, Father, but I know You tell me in Your Word that I am to hold onto my peace, I am angry right now because of……. fill in your blank— But because you tell me to live in peace, I am giving this to You to work out and while You are working on my behalf, You are strong where I am weak, so give me Your strength, Your might, Your Power because I am a child of God!
That is how we learn and grow, speaking God’s Word and promises over our lives!
Paul begged the Lord 3 times to take away a thorn that was trying to steal his peace, his joy but Paul learned that it is in God’s grace, that we find His strength overcomes our weakness, when we allow His spirit to work within us.
We are actually at our strongest when we realize without Jesus—we are weak
Paul is speaking about what the Lord said to him when he cried out -
2 **Corinthians 12: 8** and 9 -
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.
That is the authority that Jesus has given us in His Name.
We can be assured that our Father will give us everything we need. That should bring us peace!
Listen to **Philippians 4:19** in the message bible
You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.
So Jesus was out teaching and decided to head out and go across the lake to the other side. But as Jesus and the disciples were traveling in the boat, a huge storm came out of nowhere and it freaked the disciples out! What really freaked them out, was when they found Jesus sleeping like He didn’t even care about their very lives.
**Mark 4: 39** tells of a time when the disciples were afraid that they would die in a storm so they woke up Jesus Who was asleep.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38Jesus 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?”
39When 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. 40Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
The disciples had an internal storm because they saw a physical storm coming and it caused them to get rattled and they lost their peace.
Here is another insert from my Joyce Meyer bible devotions
Here is what Joyce wrote entitled “what to do on a sinking boat”
It is always exciting when Jesus says to us, “Let’s do a new thing.” To me the phrase, “let’s us go over to the other side” referring to **Mark 4:35**, is equivalent to saying “ promotion is coming” or “blessings are coming” or any variety of phrases God uses to communicate to us that it is time for a change.
I am sure the disciples were excited to see what would happen on the other side. What they did not expect or foresee was a raging storm on the way!
The disciples probably were not as excited in the middle of their voyage as they may have been in the beginning.
Although God often calls us to launch out to a new destination, He usually does not let us know what is going to happen on the way. We leave the security of where we are and start out for the blessing of the other side, but it is often in the middle where we encounter storms.
The middle is often a place of testing
She goes on to say…
The storm that the disciples faced was no little April shower or harmless summer squall, but a storm of hurricane proportions.
The waves were not gently rolling and tossing, they were beating into the boat with such fury that it quickly filled with water! That would be enough to frighten anyone.
The storm was in full force, and Jesus was asleep!! Does that sound familiar? Have you ever had times when you felt that you were sinking fast, and Jesus was asleep?
You prayed and prayed and heard nothing from God. You spent time with Him and tried to sense His presence, and yet you felt nothing. You searched for an answer, but no matter how hard you struggled against the wind and the waves, the storm raged on and you did not know what to do about it.
We sometimes refer to those seasons as” the midnight hour” or “the dark night of the soul”
At times like these, when it looks like the boat is sinking with us in it, we must use our FAITH. Jesus simply wanted His disciples to believe that if He said it, it would happen.
But like us, they were afraid. Jesus calmed the storm, but he rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith.
It is vital to our future that we grow in faith,which shows confidence and trust in God
We must learn to conquer our fear and press on to the other side. We must also learn to have peace and joy in the midst of the storm, not only when it has passed.
And that is the end of her commentary.
if we can get in front of our emotions and feelings, we allow ourselves to remember that it will pass. Like she said in her last sentence, to have peace and joy in the midst and not only when it passes. Because, if nothing else, life- as hard as it might feel sometimes- life should have at least taught us that it does pass. Storms do not last forever.
Have you ever thought, I am just so happy today nothing in the world can make me have a bad day, I’m just so happy.. La- te- da- skipping along the way -
Then suddenly out of nowhere, a storm comes and knocks you off your happy place. A person betrays you and you never saw it coming— An unexpected bill wipes out your account and now Christmas looks bleak for the kids—You know that you know that you are going to get this new job that will change your life and you don’t get the call—now what?
We have all had life swell up and take us down, and the disciples who walked every single day with Jesus—the ones who were witnesses to the many, many miracles of Jesus—even they became afraid—they panicked. I don't know about you, but I know the feeling of panic when it begins to roll around and stir up unrest within me.
God’s desire is for us to be fully Redeemed and Restored, not temporarily rescued from one storm to the next. He desires LOVE, JOY, and PEACE to be the foundation that we build our life on so that we can withstand any storm that comes against us. Because we are safe IN HIM—No matter the storm!!!
And Jesus IS the prince of Peace. Who else should we be learning from? No one!
In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to COME TO HIM
**Matthew 11:25**-30
25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. 26Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.
As we follow Jesus, He reveals more of Himself to us, and we become more familiar with our Father and things that were once mysteries deep within our spirits, the unknown truths we wrestle with, but yet can’t explain, can’t quite get a hold of, Jesus begins to reveal things to us as we grow and mature and get strong roots in the WORD. Jesus goes on to bring us comfort and hope for a brighter tomorrow. Verse 28 picks up-
28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST (renewal, blessed quiet) FOR YOUR SOULS. 30For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
Jesus is our Source, He is the One Who will give our weary souls REST,Joy, Peace. It is because we trust him and follow Him that calms the storms within us. It might look like a storm is brewing when we look with our natural eye, but when we begin to live by our spirit and fully understand that Jesus surrendered His deity, His power and authority as God’s Son to become our Perfect Sacrifice of Restoration, then we know we are like the message bible said, “home-free” We have peace because we have nothing to fear, not even death! . So, let’s take full advantage of these “advantages” that our Father gave to us so we can stand strong and full of Peace in any storm.
4 things for us to lean on this week:
1)Joy and Peace from God will guide us to find confidence, courage and hope, knowing God has us. We are safe in His arms
2} Our strength is renewed, when we seek joy and peace that comes from God
3} Our joy is not based on our situation, but knowing God loves us and is always on our side
4}We can be confident that as we follow Jesus, His peace, His joy, His gentle love for us will bring blessed quietness to our souls.
When the storms come, when the wind blows and the waves come crashing down, we can find calm waters by fixing our eyes on the One Who speaks Peace, Calm, Rest
When Jesus is your Savior, you are in the loving care and protection of the One Who “even the wind and waves obey”
Find Peace and rest in that!
And!
I have put a link of the Pastor’s Podcast—The Cutting Room Floor on the notes for this week on our website because they talk about Jesus bringing Lazurus back from the dead. If you feel dead, if you feel your life has hit rock bottom, you don’t see a future, listen to their podcast. I pray it brings life back to your spirit.
You can find the link of the podcast on—
Heartfeltconversations.com -https://www.heartfeltconversations.com/
I hope you can check it out and remember- Keep your Chin Up—Eyes fixed on Jesus!
A spirit-led life that lines its perspective up with what God’s word says, not what the world says, That is walking by faith.That is Trusting God
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing -
**Zephaniah 3:17** ESV
NOW! May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (**Romans 15:13**)
God Bless!!
Songs to inspire you
Colton Dixon - "Miracles" [Official Video]
Colton Dixon - Build a Boat (with Mercy Ships) [Official Studio Performance]
Ryan Stevenson | Eye of the Storm (feat. GabeReal) [Radio Version] {Official Lyric Video}
Scriptures from This Weeks Podcast
Philippians 4:9
"KEEP putting into practice all you have learned and received from me—everything you heard me and saw me doing. THEN, the God of peace will be with you."2 Corinthians 12:8-9
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'"Philippians 4:19
"You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus."Mark 4:39-41
"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. 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."Matthew 11:25-30
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."Acts 3:19-20
"Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then, times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord."Philippians 2:12
"Continue to work out your salvation with awe-inspired fear and trembling, using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God."Romans 8:11
"The Spirit of God, Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living in you."Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."Zephaniah 3:17
"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Foundation Verse
Romans 8:11
The Spirit of God, Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Chrisr Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living in you. “
Additional Resources
Prayer of Salvation
Jesus has given salvation, healing, and countless benefits to all who call upon His name. These benefits can be yours if you receive Him into your heart by saying this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I believe that Jesus rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of my life. Jesus, I choose to follow You, and I ask that You fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare right now that I am a born again, child of God. I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This prayer and the comment above, were taken out of the book:
Secrets to Powerful Prayer - Discovering the Languages of the Heart
By Lynne Hammond and Patsy Cameneti
If you have just received Jesus as your Savior, please write Lynne Hammond Ministries at:
PO Box 29469
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55429-2946
Or, email one of the ministries listed on the Additional Resources Tab and let them know that you are a brand new christian and need some direction on the next steps for your new life in Christ.
Or email us here at Heartfelt Conversations with Diana and we will pass along your information for you.
Congratulations if you are a brand new Christian or if you have Returned Home! Welcome!!! Get in God’s Word and get it into you!
Diana’s Home Church:
Valley Family Church - Pastor’s Eric and Alexa Jones
www.valleyfamilychurch.org
Other recommended Jesus-centered churches who teach the True Word of God:
Elevation Church - Steven Furtick
https://elevationchurch.org/
Joseph Prince Ministries - Joseph Prince
https://www.josephprince.org/
Joyce Meyer Ministries
https://joycemeyer.org/