Rough Seas, Part 1 Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Rough Seas, Part 1 ------------------- Date: 2/15/2003 Keywords: "confusion" "hopeless" "pain" "storm" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 6:45-52* 45. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. 47. When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50. For they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." 51. Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped, and they were utterly astonished, 52. For they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. Questions 1. According to verse 48, why did Jesus walk on the water?   2. At first it seemed Jesus intended to go to the disciples, but then in the same verse (48) it states that he intended to pass them by. How do you make sense of this?   3. What does the writer Mark mean when he says in verse 52, "…their heart was hardened"?   Practical help Verse 52 reminds us to take this story in context with the events earlier in the same day. Go back to the two lessons before this one where we looked at the feeding of the 5,000. Evidently the purpose of that miracle was not just to feed some hungry people. Jesus was also trying to teach his disciples some very important lessons. You might say that this situation in the storm was sort of a pop quiz. Unfortunately it appears they didn’t do too well. So what were some of the lessons and what can you and I learn from them that we might apply to our own lives? Have you ever been in stormy circumstance where you weren’t sure if you would survive (either literally, emotionally, socially or spiritually)? And perhaps you felt, while riding the wild waves, that you had been set up? Could it be you thought thoughts like, “God put me into this mess?” Or “God could have gotten me out of this mess, but He didn’t lift a finger to help!” Might that thought have crossed the disciples’ minds as they strained at the oars? After all, Jesus helped push the boat off and even waved good-bye. What do you think about the idea that He even knew the storm was coming? Are you in a storm with porn right now? In some ways do you feel “set up” or sucked in beyond your control? Perhaps you were enticed by someone you trusted. Now they are long gone, but here you are in what feels like the perfect storm all by yourself? Take heart. The disciples didn’t drown, and neither will you if you call out to Jesus. He’s waiting to get into the boat with you. To be continued…. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." ---