Questions From Jesus: “Why Are You Afraid?” (Part II)

Sermon Title: Questions Asked by Jesus – Why Are You Afraid? Where is Your Faith?

Good News Statement: Jesus asks us questions to grow our faith

Summary: The questions Jesus asks us are not meant to tear us down but rather to build us into the disciples and church his creation needs

Preached: Sunday, October 11^th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Mark 4:35-41 Today’s scripture passage comes from the Gospel of Mark. Jesus decides to take the disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and during the crossing, a storm assails. The disciples are fearful while Jesus sleeps on the boat. Jesus wakes up, calms the storm and asks the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” How would you answer Jesus’ (rhetorical) questions? Let’s read Mark, Chapter Four, Verses Thirty-five thru Forty-one. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

 

Jesus Stills a Storm

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷ A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

The Word of God, for the People of God; And all God’s People said, “Thanks Be To God.”

 

 

Introduction:

Throughout his ministry here on earth—approximately 3 to 3.5 years as indicated by John’s timeline in his Gospel which explicitly mentions at least three different annual Passover feasts—Jesus asked about 307 recorded questions across the four Gospels. The Gospel of Matthew records 91 questions, Mark records 67 questions, Luke records 96 questions, and John records 50 to 53 questions.

Jesus enjoyed asking questions, but he also had a knack for not always providing an answer. It is noted that of the 183 questions asked to Jesus, he only answered three of them. Do you know which three he answered? First in Matthew 22:23-40 and Mark 12:28-31, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest to which he answered directly by quoting the greatest commandment to love God and neighbor. Second, when asked how to pray in Luke 11:1-4, Jesus answered directly by sharing the Lord’s Prayer. Third, when the high priest asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” while on trial in Mark 14:61-62, Jesus directly answered by saying, “I am.” Keep in mind, although Jesus only answered three questions directly that doesn’t mean he ignored the other 180 questions. He heard those questions, just like he hears your questions, and answered them in way that was most beneficial to the one asking the question. Said another way, rather than acting as a simple “answer man,” Jesus used questions and counter-questions to provoke deep thought, challenge motives, and inspire spiritual transformation.

Today, we continue asking Jesus questions. Most of the questions we ask Jesus deal with suffering, personal pain, and the reasons behind tragedy in the world. For example, the most frequently asked questions are as follows: “Why do bad things happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do I feel alone? Are you disappointed in me? Why do you love a broken world? Why is there so much evil? Who gets to go to heaven? What is heaven like? And How can I serve you better?” Be honest with yourself, have you ever found yourself asking Jesus any of these questions? Do any of them resonate with you? For me personally, I have found myself asking “Why do bad things happen? Why did this happen to me? And How can I better serve your mission?”

For the next couple of weeks, I want us to spend some time thinking about some of the questions that Jesus asked his followers and those whom he was healing. Out of the 307 questions Jesus asked, Biblical teachers often highlight seven major, profound questions. Those questions include: “What do you want me to do for you? Who do you say that I am? Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Who touched me? Do you believe I am able to do this? Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? And Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Each week will explore one of these questions and discern what it is that Jesus wants us to glean from his words. So, what question is Jesus asking you?

 

Body:

How many of you are afraid of something? As the saying goes, the only thing to fear is fear itself. But for people who have a phobia, that’s easier said than done. While fear is a common emotion, phobias cause much more severe and specific terror. For those that are unaware, according Sam Nabil, a CEO and lead therapist of Naya Clinics, a “Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes overwhelming and irrational fear toward an object, place, or situation. It’s always connected to something specific. Its effect can be severely disabling in that it can disrupt an individual’s life and relationships.”[1] Phobias can cause anxiety, panic, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fear.

In a recent survey conducted by singlecare.com, researchers concluded that 19 million Americans have at least one phobia or fear: around 7.4-14% of people experience a specific phobia during their lifetime, women are twice as likely as men to experience specific phobias, and those aged 18-29 and 45-59 have the highest overall percentage at 10.3% to develop a specific phobia.[2] In addition to these statistics, mroelectric.com published an article in 2025 attempting to answer this question: “What Are the Most Common Fears in Every U.S. State?” Nationwide, people are most afraid of heights (50.2%), public speaking (32.3%), enclosed/small spaces (32.1%), exorcisms (37.1%), creepy dolls (29.6%),  and snakes (30.7%), spiders (39.9%), flying (12.5%), darkness (10.8%), dogs (2.2%), cats (0.6%), and fear of running out of money (57.9%), fear of losing rights or liberties (43.0%), fear of nuclear was (37.6%), fear of natural disasters (39.7%), fear of losing a job (21.8%), fear of losing health insurance (15.3%), and fear of another pandemic (13.3%).[3]

To add to this list, baptisthealth.com released a study showing the top nine phobias of Americans. Anybody want to take a guess as to what they are? Their list includes, in order from the most common to least common phobia: fear of heights (acrophobia), fear of flying (aerophobia), fear of spiders (arachnophobia), fear of snakes (ophidiophobia), fear of dogs (cynophobia), fear of injections (trypanophobia), fear of thunder and lightning (astraphobia), fear of being alone in a situation or place where escape might be difficult (agoraphobia), and the fear of germs and dirt (mysophobia).[4] The two phobias they didn’t mention are cubiphobia—the fear of the Cubs winning the World Series—and housierphobia—the fear of Housiers winning anything in sports!

I share these studies and results with you not to scare you, but to let you know that fear and phobias are part of human existence: they are part of our life. I’m sure many of you fear something, are scared about something. Needless to say, today’s message is not so much about the fears of life, but more along the lines of realizing that by having faith in Jesus Christ our fears can be removed. Much like the disciples caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee in the late hours of the night, we lose faith when we encounter a fear: we forget Jesus is the boat—present in our fears—with us. But, we must remind ourselves that faith is strong enough to remove our fears. If faith can move mountains, it can move our fears.

 

Movement One: Understanding the Scripture…

Let’s begin by reading our scripture lesson for this morning which comes from Mark 4:35-41. It’s a rather familiar text about the disciples getting caught in a storm or as some translations state a “squall” and the boat was being swamped by the waves and the wind was blowing and lightning was flashing in the dark sky and thunder was booming and shaking God’s creation and rain was pouring so hard that the disciples couldn’t see the shoreline, all while Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat on a cushion. The person who wanted to get to the other side was the one asleep. Mark writes, “On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And waking up, he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Be silent! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:35-41).

We are no different than the disciples from Mark’s text. We have storms in our life: battles, conflicts, disappointments, struggles, stress, doubt, and worry. And like the disciples, we, at times, feel as if our storms can’t be controlled: they appear without warning with so much force and strength that they knock us down and only leave us with enough courage to get back up and grab a branch as to not blow away and asking “How long can I hold on?” To be honest, sometimes those storms because of their strength generate fear, enough fear to take away our faith.

When our faith begins to dwindle that’s when it seems to us, as it did to the disciples, that not only does God not care, but that He isn’t even aware of the danger, that he doesn’t comprehend how near we are to drowning. It can seem as if God is indifferent to our plight, that He’s off taking a nap even as we’re assaulted from every side; that He’s resting, taking His ease, lifting not a finger to help us, while we’re struggling to survive, while we are fighting our fears.[5] In desperation and panic, we cry out, “Lord, where are you? Don’t you care if I perish? Can’t you see what’s happening? Wake up and help me!” That’s where the disciples are. They are scared. They are terrified. They are fearful. Have you ever you felt like one of those disciples before?

Now, I told you that I wasn’t going to preach on the “storm” that the disciples were facing, but I cannot share this text with you and not give you the chance to think about the storms in your life, to consider the things that are beating against you today. Peter told us in his letter, “and after you have suffered for a little while…” (1 Peter 5:10), suggesting that as followers of Christ, we will suffer and feel worn out and feel broken and feel lost and feel as if we don’t have the strength or will to keep going. Experiencing storms is part of life and those storms shouldn’t be ignored, and they certainly shouldn’t be swept under the rug because as my grandmother told me, “One day that rug will need to be replaced”—meaning that all those “storms”, problems, and conflicts will be revealed. And just because you are battling a storm doesn’t mean that God has forsaken you. So today, if you are battling a storm, please know that you are not alone: God is with you, Jesus is with, your family and friends are with you, and this church is with you. Let God get you through those storms so that you can get to the other side. This promise is probably why Peter ends 1 Peter 5:10 with these words, “…the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.”

I will also note what the disciples did during the storm: they prayed. The prayer of the disciples was not a calm or polite, “Lord, if it’s not too much trouble” kind of prayer. It was not eloquent, not carefully worded. This was not taken from a church prayer-book. This was a cry of desperation, a full-throated bellow, a panic-stricken yell: “Wake up! Save us! Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). The disciples are desperate. The disciples don’t know what to do. The disciples are scared. So, they prayed.

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever prayed like that? And what happened when the disciples prayed that prayer? Jesus didn’t say get out of the boat. Jesus didn’t keep sleeping. Jesus didn’t ignore them. Jesus answered. He rebuked the wind. He calmed the sea. He heard the prayer of his disciples. Our text records four words that saved the disciples from perishing: “Be silent! Be calm!” (Mark 4:39). He silenced the storm and calmed the wind; but, at the same time, he silenced their fear and calmed their worry. In the same way, he hears and answers us when we pray like that. Listen to this promise from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God will never put us in a situation that is truly hopeless. He will never expose us to suffering or stress beyond our ability to bear. He will never lay a burden on our shoulders beyond our strength to carry. He will never permit us to be tested beyond our capacity to endure. As the non-biblical phrase suggests, “God will never give you more than you can handle.” No matter how bleak our circumstances appear, if we continue to seek Him, we will find that His grace is sufficient; that His ability and His strength are all we need. But this is true only if we respond to our troubles by looking to God in faith and prayer. If instead you rely on yourself, then the storms of life—and the fears—will be too much for you. Your resources will prove inadequate. You will be overwhelmed.[6]

We must pray. Prayer does not earn God’s blessing; it doesn’t merit the outpouring of His grace and power and strength into our lives, and it certainly doesn’t change Him. But prayer is the means by which we come to receive those blessings. Because it changes us and is an expression of our faith. And God is pleased by faith. God is honored by faith. God responds to faith.

This leads us to Jesus’ questions: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

 

Movement Two: Why Are You Afraid?

“Why are you afraid?” The Bible tells us approximately 365 times not to be afraid, but yet we still have fears. So, why are you afraid? If Jesus had the power to end that storm, then didn’t he have the power to prevent it in the first place? Yes, of course. So why didn’t he? Why did he allow his beloved disciples to experience the terror, and confusion, and panic of that storm? And for that matter, why does he allow us to experience fear? Now I want to be clear here: I don’t think the fear that the disciples experienced was a fear from some external factor—yes, the storm was scary and overwhelming and destroying their vessel and it’s probably not the first storm they have encountered on sea (at least for those who fished for a living)—but, I think the disciples were experiencing a fear that was within themselves. There was something that Jesus needed them to see before they could be set free from their fears.

Let me explain: In the sports comedy film The Replacements released in 2000, Coach Jimmy McGinty (played by Gene Hackman) has his ragtag team of replacement football players—while the official players are on strike—share their deepest fears during a bonding session. Some of the players initially joke or name minor annoyances like spiders, bees, or going back to their dead-end regular jobs. But Shane Falco, the quarterback (played by Keanu Reeves) turns the exercise serious by stating his ultimate fear is ‘quicksand.’ Falco shares, “Everything feels fine, and then one thing goes wrong. Then a second problem hits, and then a third. Your natural instinct is to fight back hard, but the harder you struggle, the deeper you sink. Eventually, you are completely in over your head—unable to move or breathe.” There’s a light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel still exists. The team learns that panic exacerbates a crisis. Overcoming the “quicksand”, the fears, requires staying calm, trusting your teammates, and accepting help. For us, it requires praying and not giving up on our faith.

The disciples were in quicksand. Their internal fears—not the physical storm itself—were causing them to panic, to lose hope, to lose faith, and to sink. They believed they were going to perish. From behind this pulpit, I ask you, “Why do you fear the things that you fear?” I’m not talking about the snakes, the spiders, the small spaces, or even heights. I’m asking about your internal fears that make you worry every day. While on that boat, realizing that they could perish, some of those disciples were concerned with those in their life: they feared not being able to see them again and not being able to support them. Going back to the MROelectric survey, do you fear what might happen if you run out of money; in today’s political upheaval, do you fear that one morning you may not have any rights or liberties; do you fear that war is inevitable; do you fear one day waking up and not having a job; do you fear the potential of a health crisis;^[7] do you fear for the safety and protection of your children and grandchildren; do you fear the act of struggling, of being overwhelmed, of being lost; do you fear those days that bring tears and grief to you heart; do you have fear of losing someone in your life; and do you fear dying. Do you fear the reality of encountering quicksand and sinking deeper and deeper in what consumes you, of fighting but never winning? I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

As a church, I have to ask, what do we fear? Do you fear that one Sunday morning this building may not be here; do you fear that one day our doors may be locked for good; do you fear that we missed an opportunity to help someone in need; do you fear the lack of ministries; do you fear change; do you fear that someone might sit in your pew; might think differently than you, might have an opinion? The church is not exempt from experiencing fear; however, as the church we can’t let fear stop us from doing what God is calling us to do because if we do, our boat will begin to sink and the storm will win and the quicksand will be over our head. Church we can let fear stop us from what God is calling us to do.

Before we move on, I want to share a few examples with you why it is so important not to let fear win. First, a young warrior had to fight fear. Fear looked huge and angry, sort of like Goliath. The warrior felt very small, sort of like David. Instead of running away, he walked up to fear, bowed deeply three times, and asked permission to touch it. Lesson: when you run from fear, it grows bigger. When you turn and face it directly, its power shrinks. God gave you a stone for every fear. Don’t miss your shot.

Second: Johnny avoided flying for years. He missed a work conference and his niece’s graduation. Finally, he talked to a therapist. He learned that plane crashes are very rare and his mind had exaggerated the danger. He practiced deep breathing and booked a family trip. He stayed calm as the plane took off. Lesson: testing your fears against real facts helps you take back your life. Moses’ fear was that he didn’t speak well, but realizing the fact that God was with him allowed him to face the Pharaoh and saved God’s people.

Third: a king gave a criminal a choice. He could face a scary hanging rope, or open a mysterious, dark iron door. The criminal chose the hanging rope because the unknown door felt too terrifying. Once he chose the rope, the king revealed that the iron door actually led straight to freedom. Lesson: fear of the unknown often traps us in familiar pain. Choosing the unknown is the only way to find freedom. Queen Esther was chosen to live an unknown life as queen, even though she came from a poor, Jewish family: she didn’t know the life of a queen. However, she faced the unknown and freed her people.

Fear is not meant to control us. Fear is meant to be conquered by faith and prayer, trust in God, and hope in Jesus Christ. If we let fear win, then our giants will win, we will ignore the facts, and we might miss out on new opportunities. God doesn’t want fear to win in your life. His purpose behind those fears is to transform our lives, to make us into the kind of people who can know God, and fellowship with God. And in order to prove this, He acted through the disciples and had them redirect their trust and confidence, from themselves to Himself. He had to demonstrate to them, like He does with us, in a way they would never forget, their inability to save themselves. And even more important, He had to show them that where they were weak, He was strong.

The disciples, much like us, needed to learn that he had the power to deliver them, even when everything they could see or hear told them that all was lost. They needed to understand that if Jesus had power even over the wind and the waves, then there was literally nothing he can’t do in their lives. We need to learn that same lesson. There is no power in heaven or on earth that Christ cannot and has not overcome, not even the power of death and not even the consumption of fear. And so, whatever your situation may be, however hopeless it may seem, no matter how great and powerful the opposing forces are, Jesus is far greater. He is vastly more powerful. And by trusting in him rather than ourselves, we triumph with him. As He promises us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).[8]

We encounter fears because God needs us to realize that we need Him. He needs us to realize the weakness but potential of our faith. He needs us to pray, to be reminded that He is in our boat, and that He is experiencing those same fears with us. We encounter fears not to push us away from Christ but to draw us closer to Christ. On that boat the disciples drew near to Christ and they came to terms that they needed to face their fears with faith.

 

Movement Three: Where is Your Faith?…

After asking the disciples “Why are you afraid?” Jesus immediately asks “Have you still no faith?” I have to laugh a little at this question: Jesus is practically saying, “After all the healings, the miracles, the casting out of demons, making the paralyzed walk, restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf and speech to the mute, and providing you with food, places to rest, and times of fellowship, and always being with you… you think I am going to let this storm win to the point that you will perish? Come on disciples! You’ve got to be kidding me. Open your eyes, open your ears, open your mind, open your heart to the faith that I have given you.” Then Jesus goes to the other end of the boat and says to God, “These are the people that you want to share my message?!”

Faith: you’ve got to have faith. According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” A few verses later, the author of Hebrews notes, “…without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Paul wrote to the people of Ephesus that salvation is a free gift from God received through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul noted to the Corinthians that believers are called to direct their daily lives by trusting God’s unseen faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Lastly, James 2:17 reminds us that genuine faith is never passive: it is active reliance on God’s promises, power and goodness. The disciples lacked faith; therefore, they were unable to overcome their fears.

Today, in thinking about the fears that you have, I ask you a variation of the question Jesus asked his disciples: “Do you have faith?” Where is your faith? Is your faith strong? Is your faith weak? Could your faith be a little better? Are you someone who is asking “Do I have faith?” Jesus didn’t ask his disciples this question because he wanted to. He asked them this question because he needed to. He knew the disciples had faith. If they didn’t would they have trusted Jesus and got in a boat and traveled across the sea not knowing what they would encounter—like a demon possessed man living amongst the tombs (Mark 5). The disciples had faith, but they allowed their fear to overcome their faith. Jesus asked them that question because he needed them to remember their faith, to take their mind off of the storm, and focus on him. Mark quoted Jesus saying, “Don’t be afraid, just believe [and have faith]” (Mark 5:36).

Faith will save you. Faith will change you. Faith will rescue you. Faith will heal you. Faith will set you free from your past. Faith will get you through the storms of life. Faith will calm the rain and wind. Faith will shield you (Ephesians 6:16). And faith will overcome your fears. Believe it or not, faith went to the cross for you; faith is what gave you and I forgiveness; and faith is what rolled the stone away from the tomb; faith is what left the tomb empty. Faith is what met the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus and changed the heart of a man who persecuted Christians, Paul, on the Road to Damascus; faith is what gave David hope to defeat Goliath, faith is what gave Moses the commitment to lead God’s chosen people to the Promised Land; faith is what gave Esther the will to risk her life to save her people; faith is what turned a prostitute into a protector of her family; faith made the walls of Jericho come tumbling down; faith is what brought the dry bones back to life; faith is what assured Mary that she was the chosen one to carry the Son of Man; faith is what healed the bleeding woman of 12 years; faith is what allowed the paralyzed man to walk again; faith is what raised Lazarus from the dead; faith is what filled the baskets; faith is what knocks on our heart every day; and faith is what built the church.

In all of what I just mentioned, faith overcame fear. Jesus asked the disciples about their faith because he wanted their faith to be stronger than their fears. He wanted them to believe that fear should never have the last word; that what they were going through at the moment was no match for what God promised them they could and would do tomorrow. I want you to know, no, I need you to know that your fears—whatever you are going through, struggling with, doubting, uncertain about—are not match for the faith that lives within you, within this church. Your faith is stronger than your fears. Today, say to yourself: “I can overcome fear with faith.” Faith overcomes fears.

 

Conclusion:

As I conclude this message, I invite you to think about Jesus’ questions to his disciples during a time of great storm. First, Jesus asked, “Why are you afraid?” What are you afraid of today? What sort of fears do you carry with you from day to day? What sort of fears do we have as a church? Having fear is part of human life. We are all scared of something. However, Jesus teaches us that we can’t let our fears become what controls us. We have to let Jesus say to our fears, “Be silent!” and to us “Be calm!”

Second, Jesus asked, “Have you still no faith?” Again Jesus didn’t ask this question because the disciples were completely out of faith. Rather, he asked this question to remind the disciples of the faith they have in him. Do you have faith? Has Jesus ever asked you, “Where is your faith?” or told you, “To have faith?” Faith is what will help us overcome our fears and will help us believe and trust in what God is calling us to do as individuals and as a church. You all have faith, so don’t be afraid to lean into that faith—to know that Jesus is in your boat—to overcome your fears. Face your fears with faith.

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, during times of storms, we admit that at times fear wins: we lose hope, we lose faith, and we drift away from you. But today, Lord, we pray for faith that not only moves mountains, that not only gets us through the storms of life, but that removes our fears: a faith that believes in you. In your mighty name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Church, we have fears, but we also have faith. This week don’t let your fears win but instead be blessed knowing that your fears can be overcome with faith. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go forth answering the questions of Jesus. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

 

[1] Rebecca Rovenstine, Phobia Facts and Statistics, “The Checkup,” updated August 7, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/phobia-statistics/

[2] Rebecca Rovenstine, Phobia Facts and Statistics, “The Checkup,” updated August 7, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/phobia-statistics/

[3] Leanna Cota, “What Are the Most Common Fears in Every U.S. State,” MROelectric, published October 12, 2025, accessed October 6, 2026: https://www.mroelectric.com/blog/biggest-fears-by-state/

[4] “10 Most Common Phobias & Fears,” Baptist Health, published September 22, 2020, accessed October 6, 2026: https://www.baptisthealth.com/blog/family-health/10-most-common-phobias-fears

[5] It’s as if we’re straining at the oars, every muscle screaming in pain, but making no progress toward the shore. We’re bailing as fast as we can, but the water is coming in faster than it’s going out. The winds have torn the sail to shreds; the rudder has broken off. The sides of the boat are only inches above the waterline.

[6] Sooner or later, something—fear, or grief, or rage, or guilt, or sorrow, or hatred will prove too much for you. Sooner or later, one of the many kinds of suffering and temptation in this fallen world will be your downfall. And you will end up denying God, cursing him, abandoning your profession of faith, just as Peter did on the night Jesus was arrested. The only way for any of us to survive spiritually is to constantly return to God in prayer. Because although the Bible’s precious promises are true and certain; although they are guaranteed to all who are in Christ; they are not automatic.

[7] Leanna Cota, “What Are the Most Common Fears in Every U.S. State,” MROelectric, published October 12, 2025, accessed October 6, 2026: https://www.mroelectric.com/blog/biggest-fears-by-state/

[8] And John tells us that, “[E]veryone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5).So, why did God let it go that far? Why did He put them in such danger? Why did He allow them to experience the terror, the fear, the panic? Because He needed to teach them that they weren’t as all-powerful and all-sufficient as they thought. Notice that this crisis didn’t arise on the land; not in the fields or on a mountain. They weren’t threatened with destruction from a hurricane, or flood, or landslide, or earthquake. No, they encountered this trial in a boat, on the water, in an environment where they were as confident and sure of themselves as in their own living rooms. God had to show them that, even where they were most capable and most competent, they were still helpless apart from His power.  Even when we are most comfortable, fear can still grasp us and hold on to us. And although we are familiar with certain fears we are not powerful enough to completely remove them from our life.