Structures:

How's the weather?
It's (adjective)

Vocabulary:

get into
go across the lake
strong wind
go to sleep
frighten
begin to sink
calm
faith

When and where was Jesus born?

1. Who wants to cross the lake?
2. Who goes with Jesus?
3. What kind of boat are they in?
4. Who goes to sleep?
5. Who stays awake?
6. What do the disciples do?
7. What happens to the waves and the wind?
8. What does Jesus say to the disciples?

1. Jesus and his disciples get into a boat.
2. Jesus says: "Let's go across the lake."
3. They begin to sail to the other side.
4. Jesus goes to sleep in the boat.
5. Suddenly there is a windstorm.
6. The strong wind and the high waves frighten the disciples.
7. The boat begins to sink.
8. They hurry to Jesus and wake him up.
9. They cry out to Jesus: "Teacher! Teacher! We're going to drown."
10. Jesus gets up and tells the wind and waves to stop.
11. The wind stops blowing.
12. There are no more waves.
13. Everything is calm.
14. Jesus says to the disciples, "Where is your faith?"

Choose one of these words to fill in the blanks below:

Jesus and his disciples get into a sailboat. Jesus 1______: "Let's go across the lake." They begin to sail 2______ the other side. Jesus goes to sleep in 3 boat. Suddenly there is a windstorm. The strong wind 4________ the high waves frighten the disciples. The boat begins to 5________ . They hurry to Jesus and wake him up. They 6 ____ out to Jesus: "Teacher! Teacher! We're going to drown." 7 ________ gets up and tells the wind and waves to 8 ______. The wind stops blowing and there are no 9 ______ waves. Everything is calm. Jesus says to his disciples, Where 10 ____ your faith? The disciples say to each other: "11 ____ is this? He speaks to the wind and the 12________ and they obey Him."

In this story the disciples were afraid in the storm. In small groups, share your answers to the following questions:

Have you ever been frightened in a storm?
Where was this storm?
What did you do?
How did you feel?

1. God sometimes allows storms in our lives to help us grow stronger.

"My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing." (James 1:2-4, NLV)

"This is the reason we do not give up. Our human body is wearing out. But our spirits are getting stronger every day. The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever." 2 Corinthians 4:15-17, NLV)

2. God promises to be with us in the "storms" (difficulties or hard times) of life.

"I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah 43:2, NLV)

"The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27, NLV)

"He will neither slumber nor sleep...the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:4,8, NLV)

"I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20b, CEV)

3. We give our worry, our problems , our "storm" , to God. And He gives us His calm and His peace.

"I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It is not like the peace that this world can give. So, don't be worried or afraid." (I John 14:27, CEV)

"You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3, NLV)

"I am all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLV/CEV)

4. God's best gift to us is the gift of His Presence.

"God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble." (Psalm 46:1, NLV)