VBS Lesson 2

Trek: Terrified to Trusting

Memory Verse: Psalm 56:11 “In God have I put my trust...”

During this VBS we are bushwalkers hiking through the Australian Outback, a place that in many ways, is the opposite of where we live.

They have a lot of animals that we don’t have in the states like a Platypus.

The platypus has a tail like a beaver, fur like an otter, a bill and webbed feet like a duck, and lays eggs like a chicken!

Like we talked about yesterday, they speak English but in a different way:

chock-a-block = full, billabong = pool, pond.

Our lives are often the complete opposite of how God wants them to be. Yet, even when we are headed in the wrong direction, Jesus can turn our lives about and get us back on the right path

Our VBS theme verse says

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

If we let Him, Jesus can Turnabout our lives; He can transform us and make us a new creation.

What is the memory verse for lesson one?

Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

How did Jesus change the life of the man He met by the pool?

How can Jesus help us Turnabout from Helpless to Hopeful?

Let’s talk about the difference of having fear and being terrified

Is there any difference?

Have you ever been terrified (climbing story *Foster Fall’s in Chattanooga, that 5.8 I fell 35’ft)

In the end I trusted in the protection I was clipped in to and I finished the rest of that climb, now every time I go back to that place I always climb that route.

What are the benefits when we go from Terrified to Trusting?

Have you ever let fear hold you back from doing something you wanted to do or knew you needed to?

How were you able to overcome that fear?

What part might Jesus play into this?

Fear is an emotion we all face from time to time, especially when we don’t know what our future has in store for us.

Fear can be healthy when we fear the right things, what might some of those things be?

We need to make sure our fear does not turn in to terror

When we become terrified, we often lose our sense of perspective and ability to reason.

Although fear can be a stepping stone to help us turn back to God, terror can strip away our trust and become a stumbling block in our way.

When we put our faith in God and trust in Him we will go from being Terrified to Trusting

Jesus Meets Peter On The Water

Let’s take a walk back and find out what happens when Jesus meets Peter on the Water

The Bible stories in this VBS are about people who need Jesus’ help to Turnabout.

No matter what difficulties we face, Jesus can help us to overcome them and Turnabout to head the right direction.

*have them read popcorn Matthew 14:22–33

Review the story with them

After a long day of teaching and miraculously feeding 5,000 people, Jesus wanted some time alone to pray on the mountain.

Keep in mind, Jesus was not far from any of them, and He isn’t far from any one of us today, when we need saving, He is there and willing to do

(Acts 17:26–27 “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:” )

He commanded Peter and the others to make their way by boat across the Sea of Galilee.

The sea was over 12 miles long and 8 miles wide, the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains that rise high above its surface

This drastic change in elevation make the climate around the Sea to be very unstable.

The lake is prone to sudden and violent storm because of this

The disciples did as Jesus commanded, but, while it was still evening, they were caught by a powerful storm.

Fearing for their lives, they battled the seas for hours with no help in sight.

In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.

Most scholars agree that the fourth watch of the night would have been from 3-6am.

Though we do not know the exact time the disciples left the shore, we do know it was in the evening.

This means that by the time Jesus came, they had been fighting the storm for several hours, if they would have capsized it could have meant certain death.

They needed help, they needed saving, yet Jesus waited until nearly morning before coming, He allowed them to struggle first, just like Peter said,

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

It should have been comforting for those on the boat when they saw the Christ coming near to them, but they were scared.

They had great fear but Jesus said, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid”

Peter’s reaction was not far from ours, all to often, we strain for courage, but all we need is reassurance.

“Lord, if it is you” Peter cried, “command me to come to You on the water.”

Patiently, Jesus beckoned Peter to come to Him.

Peter climbed out of the boat and began to make his way to the Christ.

Yet, he changed his focus and allowed terror to take hold of him, he stopped trusting and starting sinking.

Jesus still reached out to save him and said, “O you of little faith” “why did you doubt?”

Realizing that Jesus knew everything that would happen, why do you believe He sent the disciples into the storm

While we do not know for certain why He did this, it could be a lesson for not only the disciples but even us today.

God often sends us into the face of adversity in order to build us into what He wants us to become Hebrews 12

Why do you believe that Jesus waited before He came to the rescue.

Perhaps if He had arrived earlier, before the disciples had completely exhausted themselves, they might have thought they could still save themselves

They would not have fully understood just how much they were in need of salvation.

Jesus knew they could not truly learn a lesson on trust until they had fully relied on God (Ephesians 2 for the filthiness of sin and describe grace)

How was Peter able to walk on the water one moment and yet sink in the next?

IT all had to do with his focus.

Even in the face of fear, Peter was able to do great and wonderful things later on when his focus was on the Lord.

IT was only when he began to look at the trouble that surrounded him that he began to sink

Life Turned About

Memory Verse:

Psalm 56:11a “In God have I put my trust..”

Remember that a boomerang is a throwing stick used by the native people who lived in the Outback of Australia.

The unique characteristic of the boomerang is when it is thrown correctly it can change directions midair and return back.

There are times in our lives when we are like a boomerang

We are headed with great speed in one direction (normally the wrong direction) and spinning out of control

The good news is that when we decide to go to Jesus, making Him the focus of our lives, He can help us to Turnabout and send us home in the right direction.

Let’s define terrified and trusting again

What is now the difference between terror and fear?

Remember, fear can be healthy if it is making us avoid bad things, but terror is an unreasonable amount of fear.

When we become terrified we are incapable of focusing on anything other than our problems

What is the definition of trust?

The words trust and true come from the same root.

When we trust something or someone, we know they are true.

We know they will perform or act as we expect.

When we trust a person, we know they will seek our highest good, to help and protect us.

Peter experienced both terror and trust in a brief moment. What made the difference in the two?

HIS FOCUS

Sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of a storm because that is where Jesus has sent us.

It is okay to be afraid.

We are all afraid from time to time, but we should never let the fear overwhelm us to the point that we take our eyes off our Savior.

We can trust that Jesus is never far from our side.

He will take and lead us through the storms and trials of this life if we will let Him

Psalm 56:11a “In God have I put my trust..”

David wrote these words.

David knew what it meant to be afraid.

He had fought a bear, a lion, and a giant, but he did not need to know the power of the enemy or of this world, because he knew the Power of God.

God takes care of us, just as he did with David 1 Samuel 17:47 “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”

Our memory verse tells us that when we put our trust in God, we do not have to be afraid. But how do we trust in Jesus?

John 15:14–16 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Psalm 139:7–10 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.”

Hebrews 12:1–2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Go where God Leads us

Jesus knows the path we should take. He does not tell us to do anything or go anywhere He has not already been.

He simply wants us to follow His footsteps.

The disciples were in the storm because that is where Jesus told them to go.

Sometimes we must do things that make us afraid.

Just as Jesus wanted to teach Peter to trust Him, He also wants us to trust Him

Know Jesus is with you

Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

There was no place Peter could go that Jesus could not save him.

In every fearful walk of life, Jesus is there with us

Show that you trust Jesus

Matthew 6:31–33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus he was able to do the unthinkable

IT was only when he looked away that things got worse for him

Jesus doesn’t want you to focus on fear and problem, but on Him (use the Keith Mosher peace example with the bird in the storm)

When we focus on Jesus and trust Him, He can Turnabout our fears.