Pastor Andy speaks this week on “Know Jesus, Know Peace”. There are many storms in our loves right now so knowing Jesus and having His peace in our lives is really important. This is increasingly a time of anxiety and worry and people are experiencing uncertainty and pressure in aspects they used to have security in. The natural response here is fear.

Just because we are believers and followers of Jesus does not make us exempt of storms in our lives. Jesus never took us out of the world when we were saved so we're going to experience and encounter things that the world experiences and encounters, but our experience in these storms should be a different experience. We are part of another kingdom, an unshakable Kingdom.  Hebrews 12 says that everything that can be shaken will be shaken….this is happening now!

We need to be making sure that our feet and lives are grounded in this unshakeable kingdom. God is our refuge and our strength. That's the truth but the truth is being tested in our lives today. God is our ever present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46). Therefore, we will not fear……

A very important fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us is peace - not the world’s peace but the peace that passes all understanding. In Mark’s gospel, the story of the disciples being in the boat with Jesus in a storm is recounted. A great storm rises up and it causes the disciples (even though they had the presence of God in the boat) great concern. The waves began to crash and break against the boat so that it was nearly swamped as Jesus was in the stern of the boat sleeping on a cushion.

We are not exempt of storms around us, but we are different because we have Jesus in the boat of our lives and we can likewise have God’s peace in our lives which passes all natural understanding during stormy times.