From Jonathan Wilson ...

Hey everybody,

    I pray everyone is doing well and finding rest and peace in Christ during these bizarre and uncertain times. It's easy to get caught in the flow of depression, hysteria, and confusion of the world around us. It reminds me of the passage in Mark 4:35-41. In the midst of the storm, when everyone else is in panic, we find Jesus asleep on a cushion. He's not asleep because He does not care. He's not asleep because He was overwhelmed by the storm and shutdown. He was asleep because He was not concerned by the storm. We see Jesus' concern lie in the behavior of the disciples in the face of the storm.  Jesus rebukes the storm causing it to stop and then questions the disciple’s faith.

    We cannot control the storm, but Christ can. We can control how we react to the storm and find rest in Christ. In this current storm we are facing are we behaving as if we believe Christ is in control? Not knowing how bad the storm will be or how long it will last can put our faith to the test, but it does not test Christ. Christ did not start the storm, but He ended it. Even as I'm typing this, I can hear a familiar voice singing "the anchor holds in spite of the storm" which is an awesome reminder of how we get encouragement through trials by surrounding ourselves with Godly influence.  Let's set our minds on Christ, being a beacon of light to those around us in hopes of guiding others to Him.

Jonathan Wilson
Youth Minister