YEA Lesson Library
Jesus Calms the Storm
About This Lesson
Using Jesus’ miracle of calming the storm, this lesson emphasizes that God can help us when we’re in trouble and we call on Him to save us.
Scriptures
Psalm 4:8
Psalm 29:2-4
Psalm 107:24-31
Psalm 120:1
Proverbs 3:23-26
Isaiah 26:3-4
Matthew 8:23-27
Mark 4:35-41
2 Peter 1:2-4
Words to Know
FAITH - complete trust or confidence
AUTHORITY - the power and right to command
The Lesson
It started out to be a great day. Pete, Jimmy, Mom, and Dad drove up into the mountains. They ate their lunch right next to a little stream. They watched fish jump and splash. Pete and Jimmy couldn’t wait to go fishing. The boys picked up their poles and ran off ahead of Mom and Dad.
The boys picked a spot and threw their lines in the water. They sat and waited. . . and waited. Nothing was biting. Dad said they could move upstream a way. They tried again. They sat for an hour, waiting. They were bored. They thought it would be more fun to go exploring.
The boys saw some large rocks to climb on. They played on the rocks all afternoon. They pretended they were in a fort, fighting Indians. They climbed to the very top of the rocks. They could see all the way to where Mom and Dad were fishing. They were having lots of fun. They didn’t notice the dark clouds gathering. They didn’t hear the rumble of thunder.
Crash! All at once the storm was upon them. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed. The wind blew hard. Crash! Now rain started to fall in great, big drops. The boys were in the middle of a very bad storm. Jimmy was scared. The rocks were slippery. They were afraid they might fall if they tried to climb down. Jimmy started crying.
Pete and Jimmy were in trouble. They prayed and asked the Lord to help them. After prayer, Jimmy felt better. He knew that God was with them. God could take care of them, even in a storm. Soon it stopped raining. The sun came out again. They were safe!
One day Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee. They were not fishing on this day. They spent the whole day teaching, and healing people who were sick. Finally it was time to go home. Jesus went to the back of the boat and fell asleep.
The disciples were talking about Jesus’ miracles. All at once waves started pounding the little boat. The wind was blowing very hard. The boat was tossed back and forth. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed. Rain poured down on the disciples. A large wave splashed over them and filled the boat with water. They thought their boat would sink and they would all die. They were very scared!
One of the disciples saw Jesus sleeping. He woke Jesus and said, “Lord, save us! We are going to drown!” They couldn’t understand how Jesus could sleep while they were in trouble. They thought He didn’t care what happened to them.
Jesus woke up and saw the storm. He stood up and asked, “Why are you afraid? Why do you have so little faith?” Then Jesus talked to the wind and the waves. What do you think Jesus said to them? He commanded them, “Peace, be still!”
The disciples couldn’t believe their eyes! They had never seen anyone talk to the wind and waves. And the storm obeyed Jesus! What kind of man was He? He was God’s Son. God gave Him power and authority over even the wind and the waves.
The disciples were afraid because they forgot who Jesus was. They forgot how much He loved them and how Jesus healed the sick. He had power that the disciples didn’t understand. All they had to do was tell Jesus about their trouble, and He took care of the storm.
Jesus is just as loving and powerful today as He was back then. He cares about you when you are in trouble. He knows when you are sick. He is with you when you are afraid. He just wants you to believe in Him. Talk to Him when you need help. Remember our verse for today, “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.”
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving me and caring for me when I am in trouble. Help me to remember to call on you instead of being afraid. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 8:25-27
Monday - Psalm 107:28, 29, 31
Tuesday - Isaiah 26:3-4
Wednesday - 2 Peter 1:2-4
Thursday - Proverbs 3:23-26
Friday - Psalm 29:2-4
Saturday - Psalm 4:8
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Tell that Jesus cares about all of our troubles.
2. State that He doesn’t want us to be afraid.
3. Discuss that God has given Jesus power over everything.
4. Tell that Jesus will hear and answer our prayers.
5. Recite the memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Faith (Belief)
Fear
God’s Love
God’s Protection
God’s Provision
Jesus, God the Son
Jesus, His Miracles
Jesus Calms the Storm
Prayer
Sea of Galilee
Preparation
As you teach this lesson, take advantage of the action in the story to capture the children’s attention. Be dramatic and enthusiastic in your description of the storm. Involve the children in rowing the boat, bailing water out of the boat, making waves make the sounds of thunder.
Children often have many fears. Some are afraid of the dark, others of being in a strange place. Some children are afraid of strangers, and others may be afraid of monsters. Reassure them that it is good to be cautious, but that God is able to take care of them even when they are in a frightening situation.
Lead the children to remember thunderstorms they have experienced. Give them opportunities to discuss their fears. Emphasize the fact that Jesus knows and cares when we are afraid; that He wants us to call on Him for help (Hebrews 4:15-16).
You will need a large bed sheet (blue would be good) to represent the Sea of Galilee, and a small plastic boat to be used when you retell the story.
How to Teach This Lesson
Often our attitudes and feelings about our Heavenly Father are developed from the actions of our earthly fathers. If our earthly fathers are impatient, we expect our Heavenly Father to be impatient. If our earthly fathers don’t have time to listen to us, we mistakenly believe that our Heavenly Father will be too busy to hear our prayers. In this lesson we want to stress to the children that everything in our lives is important to God. They can go to Him in prayer when they are afraid, and He will hear their prayers and answer them.
Seat the children on the floor in a circle. Ask them if any of them has ever been in a bad storm. Ask: What does the wind sound like? Have them make the sound of rain by patting on their legs with their hands. Say: Let’s start with it sprinkling. (Have children gently pat their legs, slowly.) Now it is raining harder. (Have them pat harder and faster.) What was that? (Clap your hands loudly.) It is thunder.
Ask: When Jesus and His disciples were in the boat in the storm, what were the disciples afraid of? These were big, strong fishermen. They were used to being in storms. This must have been an unusual storm to make them afraid.
Ask: Why do you think Jesus was asleep? Why was He not afraid of the storm? God had given Jesus power and authority over the winds and the waves. He knew that they were safe in God’s hands. God knew exactly where they were.
Retell the Bible story. Lay the sheet flat on the floor and have all the children spread the sheet out until it makes a smooth surface. Place the plastic boat in the center of the sheet. Say: Let’s pretend that this is the boat that Jesus and His disciples were in. They were sailing along smoothly for a while. Then the wind started to blow. (Have children blow with their mouths, while they gently wave the sheet up and down.) The storm is getting worse. Our boat is in trouble. (Move the sheet more violently, tossing the boat from side to side.) What should we do? What will Jesus do?
Ask: When Pete and Jimmy were caught in the storm up on the rocks, what did they do? How did the prayer make them feel? Do you think God heard their prayer?
Ask each child to think of a time when they were afraid. Do you think Jesus cares about the things that make us afraid? Tell them that God doesn’t always get rid of the things that scare us, but He will help us not to be afraid.
Review Questions
1. The disciples wondered what kind of man Jesus was. Can you tell them?
2. When we are afraid, what is the best thing for us to do?
3. What does our Heavenly Father do when we pray to Him?
4. Is there anything too hard for God to do?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Recreate the storm, using the sheet and plastic boat. Remember to start off with small movements of the sheet to represent small waves. As the movements become more pronounced, the waves will grow higher and the little boat will toss about. Some of the children may want to view the storm from “under the water.” They may lie on the floor under the sheet and watch the boat. Tell them they shouldn’t stay under too long, they must swim out.
REACH Activity
Special Materials:
“The Grand Canyon Suite” (a musical piece), card stock, poster board, printed paper or wallpaper, craft sticks
1. Before the YEA lesson: Ask: Do you know what Jesus wants you to do when you are afraid? Share and discuss answers. Then begin the lesson.
2. Role play Matthew 8:23-27.
3. Cloudburst, in the “Grand Canyon Suite,” is a musical representation of a thunderstorm. Lie down on the floor as an adult plays the music, flips the lights on and off when the “lightning” starts, and accents the “thunder” booms by shaking a poster board. When the “storm” is over, write in your Bible notebook how you felt during the “storm.”
4. Read the Daily Devotional for Monday, Psalm 107:28-31, then write in your Bible notebook what kinds of storms God can save you from.
5. Do a sword drill with this week’s Daily Devotionals.
6. Sing: “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” on page 144 of the CEM Hymnal. Write in your Bible notebook what promise we have for the future—even though we may have some storms in our lives before we get there.
7. Fold an 81/2 x 11 piece of card stock in half. On the outside, use tempera paints to paint angry clouds and rough waves. On the inside, paint a blue sky, fluffy clouds, and calm waters. When both are dry, write the first half of the memory verse on the outside, and the second half on the inside. Send your card to someone to encourage them today.
8. Read Isaiah 26:3-4 again. Talk about perfect peace. The disciples certainly didn’t have perfect peace during the storm. What does this Scripture say is the way to perfect peace? What do you have to do to be calm when things are really rough in your life? Write the answer in your Bible notebook. Then write a prayer asking God to help you trust Him no matter what! (Job 13:15a).
9. Read Matthew 8:23-27. Divide a piece of paper in half. On the first side, draw a picture of the raging storm. On the other side, draw a picture of the lake once Jesus calmed the storm. Write your memory verse across the bottom of the paper.
10. Using a Bible and a concordance, find two “fear” and two “faith” Scriptures. Read and talk about each pair of Scriptures. Write the “faith” Scriptures in your Bible notebook.
11. Choose a “faith” verse from #10 and make a Bible card to fit in a frame. Use leftover wall-paper or other printed paper to fit the size frame available, and color tool of choice. Write the verse and frame it. Give it to someone as a gift.
12. Find the Sea of Galilee on a Bible map. Draw a map of it in your Bible notebook. Label the map. Find the distance across the Sea of Galilee from one coast to the other. How deep is the Sea of Galilee? Write the facts on your map.
13. What kind of boats did they have in Bible times? Use an encyclopedia to find out. Draw or make the kind of boat the disciples might have used. Use any materials available to make the boat: paper, craft sticks, glue, scissors, and color tools.
14. The disciples were talking about the miracles Jesus had performed. Use your Bible and concordance to read about two of Jesus’ miracles. Write about and draw a picture of at least one miracle in your Bible notebook.
15. Read Luke 1:26-35. Share the story with family and friends.
16. Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the word “distress.” Write it in your Bible notebook. Talk to your family about the meaning. If you or your family is in any distress, say a prayer for Jesus to help you. Remember Jesus wants to hear from you!
17. Create hand motions for the words of the memory verse. Practice by teaching it to family or friends.
18. Sing: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” on page 66 of the CEM Hymnal.
Song
“God Is So Good” is on page 87 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask if anyone would like to talk to God about something that scares them. Remember to thank God for loving them and answering their prayers.
Printable Pages
