Through The Storm - Matthew 8:23-27 (Episode 18)

Kelsey and I talk about going through storms and how Jesus carries us through it and we also talk about ways we can build a foundation and prepare ourselves for the storm ahead.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hey guys, welcome to the Hurts Podcast. I'm Peyton Hurt.

SPEAKER_00 0:03

And I'm Kelsey Hurt.

SPEAKER_03 0:04

And this week we're going to be talking about through going through the storm. This is episode 18.

SPEAKER_02 0:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

Yeah. So before we get started, we're going to kind of uh recap our week, our weekend, and kind of uh what it looks like moving forward. So.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

Yeah, so last week, let's see, always hard to think back. I don't know if you guys can relate.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

I keep rolling blanks.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

I know. Um I don't know if anything like huge, just kind of the mundane, like I've been spending time with friends, getting I dig into the word with them. I've been able to do a Bible study. Um, I've been able to have an accountability piece with another friend when I read the Bible. Um so just some good like girl time, but also Jesus time. He's always in the midst, but specifically like being intentional about that, that's been fun.

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Yeah. Um thinking about on the week on the week we had uh some time with family.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yeah. Um we we probably should start thinking about this before because we're always pausing.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

I know, like like writing it down.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

But that just shows you I think weekends are more memorable.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Because it's fresh in our mind. I think we mentioned last podcast we went to a wedding this weekend. Yes. Uh, one of our favorite towns, and got to meet up with friends. That was very fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

Yeah, that was a good time. It was good. It was good to get away. Yeah, we go back.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Yeah, and then we came back yesterday and we basically had the rest of the evening, which was good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:35

To relax. Yeah, that was good. Lots of driving.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

Lots of lots of driving.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah, for sure. Digging into this episode though, we're excited to go into some scripture and relate scripture to each other. So starting out, we're gonna read Matthew 8, 23 through 27.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

You're getting us started, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Oh yeah, Jesus calms the storm. Then he got into the boat, and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, Lord, save us, we're going to drown. He replied, You of little faith, why are you so afraid? And he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey him. I love that story so much. So if you look at Matthew, you can see all of these headings where Jesus is healed, um, heals a man with leprosy. Um, I believe, let's see. He has a lot of teachings, as you can see. Um, he's tested in the wilderness, he heals the sick. So the disciples have heard and seen some things, but to see the weather now obey him must have been mind-boggling.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Uh, I think of this past week, actually, we had some storms, and I'm really scared of storms, and when I say that, I don't mean I'm just like, oh my goodness, we can't go out. We can't go outside. I'm actually pulling my eyes out and calling everyone I know, and we're texting family and checking on them. It's just, it's hard for me to experience storms because I feel so out of control. Peyton's really the calm one.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Yeah, Kelsey and I are completely different with storms. I love storms, I love rain, I love thunder, uh, I think tornadoes are cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

He can sleep.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

Yeah, I can sleep.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Which I wish I had that piece. Like it says Jesus is sleeping in the story. And I'm like, wow, I would love to be able to sleep through a storm. So it just shows like how powerful he is. And I think verse 26 really puts it into perspective the importance of faith in the midst of not only a storm, but the fear that comes with that. Again, verse 26 says, He replied, You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

Right. And I want to touch on verse 25 because it says the disciples went and woke him, saying, Lord save us, we're going to drown. So kind of like what Kelsey touched on is the disciples have seen many healings and in the great things that Jesus has done for people. Um, and why wouldn't he be able to control the weather, right? Like, why wouldn't he be able to calm the storm? So I think it's interesting because the the disciples are panicking in this moment and they're saying, Lord, save us, we're going to drown.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

And you know what? Sometimes I think like we don't specifically deal with other people's storms, you know, like we don't have a certain sickness, maybe, or maybe whatever you might think when you think of storms. Um, and the disciples, you know, they didn't have leprosy, um, they weren't possessed by an evil spirit, yet they saw these healings. However, when they're in this boat, they're feeling the fear.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

And so them questioning Jesus, you know, like now it's in their face. Like they saw all the healings, but now they're dealing with their own specific experience. Right. It's kind of interesting.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

And maybe, maybe in that moment they kind of see like the realization of oh wow, maybe we kind of get the feeling for how some of these people feel when they come to Jesus and and and look at it like, wow, they have really strong faith for for believing this, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Yeah, and the safety that Jesus provides.

SPEAKER_03 5:25

Yeah. Okay, do you have anything else to touch on, Matthew 8? Okay, so uh I kind of wanted to touch more on the storms. Um, again, it was kind of like through Illinois, uh the Midwest, and things like that. So um, you know, as we were kind of thinking about this and kind of coming up with it, uh, I thought about like the news channels and some of the destruction that that storms cause. Because, you know, when we go through storms in our in our Christian faith, right, we can use these as examples, real life examples, right? So going through a storm, you know, there's tornadoes, there's winds, there's rain. Um, but knowing that, like for me being the calm one, the comfort that I have in storms also is that I know that a storm is eventually going to end, right? It may last for an hour, it may last for 30 minutes, but I know that eventually the storm is gonna come to an end. And I had this kind of like uh vision uh of some sort of kind of like where okay, you have destruction in a storm, right? Like people's shingles fall off or um or a tree falls on their tree falls, their sticks. Yeah. Um, you know, and that kind of you can look at your own life and your own Christian walk and realize that once you're out of the storm, there's that that recovery process kind of where you look back and be like, um, you know, you can look back through the storm and and and see the good that came out of it, right? Um now in a in a real life perspective, you know, obviously if there's damage, it it's it's not good, but yeah, um still there's that there's that time period in between storms where you continue to praise God for um you know getting you through the storm, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yeah, and there's a rebuilding part too, which I think you touched on or are going to touch on, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

Very cool. So I just wanted to point that out there. So um, yeah, talking about storms, so again we see that Jesus calms the storm. So now we kind of want to look at like when you go through storms about having a strong foundation and faith. So we're gonna jump over to uh jump actually back to Matthew 7, verses 24 and 27. Uh so the it's the wise and foolish builders. So therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew, or the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Okay, so again, uh we get an example here of the wise builder and the foolish builder. So looking back at the beginning, it says everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Okay, so to have a firm foundation in a storm or preparing for a storm when there's that rebuilding process is reading and listening to God's word and applying it to your life. That's how you build that firm and and and firm foundation, right? Now, if you're the foolish builder, everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. So we see the they built their house on sand, the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew, the storm came, and that house fell with a great crash because they did not have the firm foundation of the word and applying it to their lives.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Yeah, I think of the world and compared to sand, like sand shifts with the tide. And I mean, I think of when we went to Florida and we were like jumping in the ocean. Yeah, and the waves so easily took us that where we had to look and be like, where are the other family members? Like we're so far off, the sand was shifting. And um, so yeah, just comparing that to the world. And when we think about how do we build a strong foundation, first and foremost, it should be on Jesus. Jesus should be our strong foundation. So that's relating to the house on the rock. Um, and you kind of touched on this, but ways that we can build a strong foundation is seek the Lord daily. You know, prayer is very important. You're in conversation with God, you're presenting requests, you're praising Him. Um, and reading the Bible, uh, surrounding yourselves with the Christian community is also really important because they're gonna uplift you. They're going to tell you maybe some blind spots you have in your life where you need to grow. Um again, applying his words, right? That application piece in the scripture you just read.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

And then also understanding who he is through the word and also just your daily experience with him in life, um, his power, his attributes. So, all of those things to keep in mind when you're thinking, How can I build or continue to build on um to make a strong foundation?

SPEAKER_03 10:43

Right. And you know, remembering that it's not easy, right? Because, you know, going through a storm is very difficult, right? Like when you're in the midst of a storm, it it can be hard to to panic and freak out. Like again, we see the disciples, like they saw panic and freak out.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

Because we saw the disciples, they literally saw, you know, firsthand Jesus' healings and and and the miracles that he did. And in a time where uh you know Jesus was asleep, they were they were freaking out. They they lost faith and and they just uh they didn't know where to go from there.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

So yeah, I think when we go through storms, like you know, if we've gone through recent storms in the past, it's so so like encouraging to look back and see the promises that he's fulfilled and the storms that he's gotten us through. But I think it can also be easy to forget what he's gotten us through.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Uh whether that's because you're comfortable or maybe a reflection of how you your relationship with is with Christ regarding like how personal it is. Maybe it's stronger in one season and the next it's not. Um, so maybe it's not as evident those promises that he fulfilled in the past. Yeah, but just knowing that the Lord carries you through, and I know everybody has different storms, like it might be a sickness, or maybe it's just a season of like a working situation that you don't like. There's different, different storms, but knowing that the Lord holds you within those and that he's in control. And we've talked about this a little bit in our trusting the Lord podcast. I don't know what episode it was. I think it was like episode four or something. Uh we talked about trusting God and we talked about some good ways to help you trust the Lord within a storm, if that's something you want to look back on. But just an encouragement that God is with you through it all.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Right, right. And remember that rebuilding, that rebuilding period that that you know God gets you through that season um and and shows you why he took you through that season. And and I think another thing we forget to do is after we're out of the storm, is continuing to praise God, but continue to pursue him too, right? Like not just using Jesus as, hey, I'm going through a hard time, please help me, and then you know what I mean, like kind of like uh then not pursuing him and not having that strong relationship because you know I'm not going through a storm right now.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Yeah, and I find myself doing that so much, which is interesting you say that specifically, like when I was going through my breakup in college, and it was such a god thing to meet you, and like all the promises he fulfilled within that, even the little things like were so evident, and it's like I got comfortable and I I was still a I'm I'm obviously I was still a believer, um, but I didn't always praise him for what he did, or it wasn't always on the forefront of my mind because all of these worries are so that's such a good point.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

Yeah. So do you have anything else to add to uh what we read, Matthew or Matthew 8, Matthew 7?

SPEAKER_00 13:50

No, I don't okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Well, we're gonna go ahead and move forward to just talking about um some of our personal stories, uh, more recent um struggles through storms that we've been through, and kind of looking back and seeing um, you know, this is why I went through this storm, and uh continue to look at that. So um you want me to start? You want to start? Go ahead. Okay. Um, so uh a more recent as of probably like three or four weeks ago, um, I know I've talked a lot about my job. Again, I do uh part-time as young adults pastor at our church. My full-time job is uh carpentry. Um and that's something that I've been struggling with.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

The carpentry.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

Yeah, the carpentry part. Um, and I think that I was going through a tough season where um, again, I was questioning questioning God, and I was just very uh, you know, I was going through a rough time where I didn't even want to be at work, where it was it was very difficult for me to um, you know, be that vessel, be the light that the Lord called me to be because I was so um you know in my head, I was I was I was either frustrated, I I wasn't fully there, and I felt like I wasn't being used uh like I wanted to by the Lord, and and I feel like uh you know, again, that was on me because I I was caught up in emotions, I was caught up in in uh lots of things. So um, you know, I was just praying, Lord, like, you know, I want to be a vessel, I want to be a light, uh, and I'm really struggling to do that here. Um and as of two weeks ago, um, I got moved to a different job, and and I feel like uh a lot more joy, a lot more happiness, and I feel like uh I'm able to um shine my light on the people there um and kind of give the people that I'm surrounded with my all and and and really be that vessel that the Lord has called me to be. So um yeah, that that was very difficult for me uh in that season because I felt like um I felt like I was being like a candle, like I was being like blown out. Like there was a constant yeah, there's like a constant wind that was just like I was trying to light. Um it just was being blown out.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Do you think when you look back, especially since it's so fresh, do you think you've learned something? Like what would you say that you learned? Whether that's like something you learned in a way where you can apply it to your life and how you how you've grown from that.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

Yeah, I think uh I think something that God's spoken to me is that realizing that um going through a storm and being in those positions, I feel like uh I need to remove my emotion from it and continuing to be a light and stick up for for what I believe in. Um but also to remember that that God is there always. Um I think also I was cons sometimes continuing to lack or not continuing, but I was I was lacking um prayer because I was so angry with what with where I was that I wasn't calling out to the Lord in the moment. I was afterwards, but not in the moment when I was really struggling at the job. So um I think calling on to him in the moment was is a prayer um and something that I I think I'll continue to try to pursue um in this season.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Yeah, thanks for sharing. Uh for me, um it's not really something I mean, it is of the past, but it also tends to be the present. So it's something that um comes up from time to time. And when I experience storms, usually they're mental. And usually it looks like me being down, unmotivated, uh constantly comparing myself to others, which brings anxiety, all these things, and um anxious thoughts and feelings. And I really have to work at recentering my mind to looking at the Lord because if if God, if I don't involve God in my day-to-day, if I don't seek Him consistently, I've noticed that it gets worse. And so I've really tried to do a better job at that. And I I'm thankful to say like I have grown in that and my my mental storms have not been as present. Um, but something that my friend really told me um or really or told me that really helped me was to proclaim thank you, Lord, for freeing me from my anxiety, or thank you, Lord, for from for freeing me from my anxious thoughts. And she told me that this is important because it shows faith in him for healing me. Um and it also allows me to come into agreement with Jesus that I'm already healed. So just like a pro proclamation of faith. Um, and so that has helped me in even like the little day-to-day stuff. So I've noticed I like that the devil likes to isolate me, and whether that's me just going to Walmart for a little bit, like my my fear of driving services, just an example. And so just saying this even over and over has helped me to take those steps to just leave the house and have amazing interactions with people. Yeah, and um I've really appreciated that. So just like proclaiming it every life, yes, but also which is really important, but also the piece of like leaning more into God has helped me. Um, and I've been vulnerable with you in the moments I've had these feelings or thoughts. I've been vulnerable with my friends who uplift me, encourage me, pray for me. Um I dive into the word, which is just so amazing. Last week, after consistently reading, I just felt like such a new person and I had so much gratitude. Um, so not saying that these mental storms um are gonna go away because I I just feel like for me it's an act of turning to God in the moment that's so helpful. But I I guess I'm saying like the enemy really does attack me in my mind. Like that's the storms in my season of life that can tend to come.

SPEAKER_03 20:07

For sure. Yeah, and I and I like what you said with uh um you know how you stay in the word, like you feel, like it feels different, right? Like like how you how you feel, how you act, yeah, uh, and how you react to your emotions, right? And I think uh um going back to last week's episode, we talk about we talked about life by the spirit, and I think something that you can continue to do is to to live by the spirit and continue to fulfill the spirit, yeah. Um, is you know, you've you've probably heard the word like spiritual hunger. And the word and reading and praying is is how we feed ourselves, right? So as you continue to stay fed, you feel, you know, food for us keeps us energized, yeah. Um, things like that. So you continue to stay energized, and I feel like that kind of fulfills your uh spiritual hunger that then allows you to live life by the spirit, yeah. Uh which kind of keeps you um, you know, like when you when when something comes up, when a storm arises, you apply that to your life, your reading, and and you're kind of again, yeah, being being spiritually fed.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

So yeah, it goes back to the how can we build a stronger foundation, you know, the seeking peace, the applying peace. And also through those things, I feel like you understand more of who God is.

SPEAKER_02 21:25

Right.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

It's so cool to see, um, because I so I know I mentioned last episode that I've become friends with our Texas Roadhouse server. Yeah, and she's just so passionate, and it's really encouraged me, and she's really encouraged me to grow deeper in my relationship with Christ. And so these past two weeks I've been on fire for God in ways that I haven't been for a while, and just again, like the vulnerability piece, like it allows me to really connect more with people and take steps outside of uh my selfishness or my fear, and it's been really cool to see how God works through that. So, you know, just showing again that God is with us through the storms.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

For sure. Yeah, good. So I think, do you have anything else to add? That is all that's pretty much it. Okay, so uh really last thing, um kind of just like a reminder to stay faithful in this if you're going through a storm right now, to stay faithful in this tough season. And remember, kind of like what we touched on, the storm always ends. But when the storm ends, praise God for getting you through that storm. Um, and continue to praise him when you're not going through a storm, like when there's uh when when it's calm, right? Um and we read here in Matthew 7, continue to read the word so that way you you store up knowledge with the spirit and that way you can apply it and have that rock foundation so that way when the wind when when the wind blows and and the the storm comes crashing in that that you're not going to sink in the sand, that you're gonna have a solid foundation.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Yep, the Bible says to stand firm. So um again, that strong foundation piece is so very important.

SPEAKER_03 23:09

Yes. So uh that's kind of wrapping it up. I think uh just a reminder that we do post every Tuesday morning.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

Yep. Um Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube are the platforms.

SPEAKER_03 23:22

Yeah. And uh have a great week. Have a great week, guys. Yeah.