The Children's Chapel Award-winning site, featuring Bible stories from a variety of authors, excellent Christian resources for children, and over 140 links to other Christian and family-friendly sites for kids. ~ A Ministry of The Missing Link, Inc. ~ The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace Jesus Calms The Storm by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards It was a cool, breezy autumn day and Justin could think of nothing he'd rather do than go fishing with his dad. With his tackle box and fishing pole in one hand and lunch cooler in the other, he struggled as he made his way out to the truck. His dad had already gotten the boat ready and was waiting patiently for him. "It's going to be a great day, Dad. I just know it!" Justin exclaimed excitedly as he climbed into the truck. "I'm as excited as you are, Justin," his father replied. "I just hope it doesn't rain while we are out on the lake." When they finally arrived at the lake, Justin wasted no time jumping out of the truck. He helped his dad put the fishing gear and the lunch cooler in the boat. Then he donned his life jacket. After everything was in place, he and his dad stepped into the boat and used a paddle to push away from shore. Father and son had a grand time together as they tried to outdo each other. "I caught more fish than you did!" Justin would say. "Yes, but my fish are bigger," his dad would teasingly reply. Just as they were opening their cooler to have a little lunch, Justin felt a rain drop. "UH-OH, Dad," he sighed. "I just felt a drop. I think it is going to rain earlier than the weatherman. . . ." Before he could even finish his sentence, the rain started pouring down. "It's raining buckets!" his dad exclaimed. "We need to get to shore NOW!" The wind picked up, causing larger waves than Justin was accustomed to. The little boat was rocking and a few of the waves even splashed into the boat. Justin began to get frightened. "Dad, I'm afraid. Do you think we are going to be OK?" Justin asked with a quivering voice. "It is quite rough out here, and this little boat is difficult to control in these waves and strong wind, but don't you worry about a thing," his father reassured him. "Just hold on tight and follow my instructions, and we will be just fine." Simply listening to his father's calm voice made Justin feel a whole lot better about the situation. Knowing his dad was in control helped him to be more peaceful and less fearful. Justin swayed as the little boat swayed and soon began enjoying his little ride. In just a few moments, he was pretending he was on a roller coaster and laughing about the funny feeling it caused in his tummy. It seemed to take almost no time at all before his dad had them safely back on shore eating their lunch in their truck, waiting for the rain to stop. Justin was glad he could trust his father to know just what to do. "It's getting late . . . ." "You should go home and take care of your family . . . ." "Jesus is tired and needs to rest . . . ." The friends of Jesus, also known as his disciples, had spread themselves out among the huge group of people who had gathered throughout the day to listen to Jesus tell stories and teach about the Kingdom of God. Just as some people were finally leaving, others would come, take their place in the crowd. It seemed that everyone wanted to hear what Jesus had to say. The disciples had quite a difficult task, trying to convince everyone that it was time to go home! "Hey, Peter! Have you seen Jesus?" John called out as the last person was walking away. "I think He already went to the boat," Peter yelled back. Sure enough, when the disciples got to the little boat, they found that Jesus was already there, waiting for them. "Will you fellows please take me to the other side of the lake?" Jesus asked politely. The disciples were eager to please Jesus. They raised the sails, lifted the anchor, and were soon sailing toward the middle of the lake. Suddenly, without warning, the wind started howling, whipping the large sails about as if they were feathers. The waves rose higher and higher, sloshing over the sides of the boat. The boat, heaving heavily from side to side, was hopelessly uncontrollable. It was all they could do to hold on. James glanced around to see if everyone was still on the boat, hoping no one had fallen overboard. "WHERE IS JESUS?" he yelled above the roar of the wind. Peter yelled back, "HE'S HERE IN THE BACK OF THE BOAT! CAN YOU BELIEVE HE IS SLEEPING THROUGH ALL OF THIS?" The disciples were getting more and more fearful because of the storm. Water was quickly filling the vessel, and there was nothing they could do about it. There was no doubt in their minds that they were all going to die. One of the disciples started shaking Jesus trying to awaken him, screaming loudly to be heard. "JESUS . . . JESUS! GET UP! HOW CAN YOU SLEEP THROUGH THIS STORM? DON'T YOU CARE IF WE ALL DIE? PLEASE GET UP AND HELP US!" Jesus calmly and peacefully got up from his nap. He stood up in the boat, which was being tossed around uncontrollably, and spoke to the wind . . . and then He spoke to the lake simply saying, "Peace, be still!" At that very instant: The wind stopped howling . . . The waves stopped rolling . . . The boat stopped tossing . . . All was calm, still, and peaceful out on the lake. The disciples were still trembling with fear and still holding on for dear life. They hadn't even realized the storm had stopped. Jesus turned to them and said gently, "Why are you so fearful? How could you spend so much time with Me and yet have so little faith that I would take care of you?" The disciples, realizing that the storm was over, loosened their grip just a bit and timidly stood up. They looked at one another in amazement. "Can you believe what just happened?" one of them asked. "What kind of man is this?" another one wondered. "Even the wind and the waves obey him!" a third one exclaimed. "It was absolutely incredible!" they all agreed. After all their wonder and amazement subsided just a bit, they got busy with the hard tasks of bailing the water out of their boat and repairing the sails so they could continue the rest of the way across the lake where, unknown to them, another great miracle was waiting to take place. * * * THINK! 1. How does this story show that Jesus was human like us? 2. How does this story show that Jesus was God? 3. What were the disciples doing during the storm? 4. What was Jesus doing during the storm? 5. What did Jesus do to stop the storm? 6. Which fruit of the Spirit did you learn about in this story? REMEMBER Remember, Jesus is the Source of Peace. If you pray and trust Him, He will help you replace fear with peace. A VERSE TO LEARN "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). ALTERNATE VERSE TO LEARN "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). PRACTICAL APPLICATION Have you ever been in a storm? Was it a thunderstorm, hailstorm, blizzard, sandstorm, cyclone, typhoon, hurricane or tornado? How frightened were you? What did you do? Did you hide your head under the blankets or take cover in your closet? Or did you run to your parents because you were scared and didn't want to be alone? Were you able to find peace or were you still afraid? What other things make you fearful? Are there certain people who scare you? Does it scare you to be around someone who's angry? How can you have peace when things are raging around you? [After discussion:] Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to give you peace. I'm talking about peace that is not of this world, a peace that comes from heaven and is far more wonderful than your mind can understand. How can you have this heavenly peace? You can have it by taking time to pray about everything, pouring out your heart to God, asking for his help and then, in faith, thanking Him for peace. After praying, lift your heart in song and praise, trusting Him for answering your prayer. LET'S PRAY **************************************************** Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth as a human and being an example for us to follow. When we become afraid, help us to remember to ask You for help to replace fear with peace. In your Name we pray. Amen. **************************************************** CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE? Matthew 8:23-27 Mark 4:35-41 Luke 8:22-25 Galatians 5:19-26 STORIES IN THIS SERIES: The Fruit of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance [Picture of crayons] Calming The Storm Jesus Calms the Storm [Picture of a pear] [Picture of a Fruit Basket] God Wants Us to Bear Good Fruit Fruit of the Spirit Tree Fruit Fruit of the Spirit My Story of Jesus Happy Day Coloring Book Bible Story Coloring Pages V2 (Reproducible ) New Testament Bible Story Cards Coloring Book My Bible Coloring Book (Shirley Dobson ) Children's Coloring Books Smart Coloring Books [Picture of a child reading a book] Blow! Jesus Calms the Storm Jesus Calms the Storm Jesus Calms the Storm Arch Book Look for the Rainbow! Stilling the Storm [Picture of cherries] Bearing Fruit The Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit (Arch Books ) The Fruit of the Spirit Life Is an Adventure with Ernie The Fruit of the Spirit Is Jesus in Me 365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories (Barbour Publishing ) Awesome Book of Bible Stories for Kids Pilgrim's Progress for Kids 365 Activities For Kids: A Bible Story And Activity For Each Day Of The Year 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs w/2 CD Baby's First Bible Beginner's Bible Bible In Pictures For Toddlers Bible stories Early Reader's Bible Five Minute Devotions for Children (ages 4-8) Little Hands Story Bible The Children's Illustrated Bible The Preschoolers Bible Toddlers Bible Pilgrim's Progress for Kids What Happens When I Talk to God? Children's Books Spanish Children's Books The Picture Bible (my children's favorite!) [Picture of activities] Jesus Calms the Storm Maze Jesus Calms the Storm Maze on Photo Background Jesus Calms the Storm Word Search Jesus Calms the Storm Story Cards To Keep and Share Jesus Calms A Storm (pdf) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ) [Picture of a peach] Fruit of the Spirit Online Game Online Word Search Fruit of the Spirit Online Jigsaw Puzzle Online Word Search Online Hangman Crossword Puzzle Word Search Unscramble Online Coded Bible Puzzle Coded Bible Puzzle Online Fruit Basket to Arrange Online Animated Jigsaw Puzzle Online Animated Slide Puzzle [Picture of birds singing] Asleep in the Boat (Song #29) BibleStory Songs I've Got Peace Like A River [Picture of grapes] Fruit of the Spirit (sheet music/MIDI) I Want To Be Like Jesus (sheet music/MIDI) Fruit of the Spirit (mp3) The Fruit of The Spirit Song/MIDI/CHORDS Fruit of the Spirit Cadence Action Bible Songs (Cedarmont Kids ) Bible Songs on CD 100 Singalong Songs For Kids (Cedarmont ) 25 Favorite Sunday School Songs (Veggie Tales ) Children's Music [Picture of CDs and DVDs] Bible Comes Alive Album 4 Auto B Good Fruits of the Spirit DVD Sunday School Songs (Cedarmont Kids) Shop Now Music Machine Shop Now Adventures from the Book of Virtues Amazing Bible Stories DVD Boxed Set Bible Stories DVD God's Story from Creation to Eternity (listen & watch online) Read and See DVD Bible Children's DVDs [Picture of crafts] Bible Craft for Jesus Calms the Storm Ocean in a Bottle Forever Floating Simple Sailboat Craft Halves Boat Craft [Picture of an apple] Fruit Printing Fruit Basket (pdf) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ) Fruit of the Spirit Crafts Draw 50 People from the Bible Bible Crafts & More (Ages 6-8) Bible Crafts On A Shoestring Budget (Ages 5-10) Big Book of Bible Crafts (Ages 3-12) Encyclopedia Of Bible Crafts For Preschoolers Praise God With...Craft Series Praise God with a Paper Plate (PreK-Grade 2) Really Big Book Of Cool Crafts For Kids w/CD-Ages 4-12 (Reproducible ) Children's Crafts & Hobbies *RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS* Fruit of the Spirit Story Idea The Fruit of the Spirit (pdf) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ) Fruit Basket Upset -Fruit of the Spirit Game Experience the Fruits of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit Characters Fruits of the Spirit and How We Can Show Them to Others Fruit of the Spirit Fruit Bowl Fruit of the Spirit The Fruit of the Spirit Lesson Plan Fruit of the Spirit Anagrams Fruit of the Spirit Name Tags Fruit of the Spirit Puppet/Skits Scripts Apple Snacks Chocolate Covered Strawberries Fruit Kabobs Fruit of the Spirit Pizza Fruit of the Spirit Game Please Pass The Fruit (Game) Fruit of the Spirit Necklace (Memory Tool) God's Kids Grow: KidsTime Fruit of the Spirit Leader's Guide Fruit of the Spirit: a Childrens Bible Study of Galatians 5:22 Shop Now Kids Travel Guide Fruit Of The Spirit Shop Now Fruit Of The Spirit Bookmark Shop Now Fruit Of The Spirit Bulletin Shop Now Fruit Of The Spirit Laminated Chart Shop Now Fruit Of The Spirit Bracelet Shop Now Fruitz Of The Spirit Game (2-10 Players, Ages 7+) Shop Now Little Angels & Fruit Of The Spirit Game (2-4 Players. Ages 3+) Shop Now Fruit Of The Spirit Chubbies Pen Shop Now Poster Set-Fruit Of The Spirit & Armor Of God Shop Now Bible Memory Games (Creative Bible Activities for Children ) Bible Story Coloring Pages (Reproducible ) 30 New Testament QuickSkits for Kids 801 Questions Kids Ask About God (Focus on the Family ) Absentee Postcards African American Resources Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher (Bruce Wilkinson ) Bible Crafts and Activities for Any Story Big Book of Bible Games (Gospel Light ) Bulletin Board helps Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul Children's Church Resources Children's Sermon Church Nanny Sos: Teaching Discipline Essentials for Preschool Ministry Volunteers Church Supplies Closing Prayer Edible Object Talks That Teach About Jesus (Edible Object Talks ) 52 Games That Teach The Bible Flannel Graph Story Sets to Purchase Free educational videos God's Servants Teach Me (Instant Bible Lessons ) God's Wisdom for Little Boys: Character-Building Fun from Proverbs Help! I'm a Sunday School Teacher (Focus on the Family ) Hermie Scripture Memory How To Lead a Child To Christ King James Version Award Bibles Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings Lord Teach Me To Pray For Kids (Kay Arthur ) Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours Memory Verse Ideas Memory Verse Resources Object Talks Opening Prayer Parenting Power Point Presentations of Various Bible Stories Pray & Play Bible for Young Children Puppet Scripts Resources for Teachers Seven Laws of the Learner (Bruce Wilkinson ) Spanish Resources Sunday School Attendance Boosters: 165 Fresh Ideas Sunday school resources Talking to God (Instant Bible Lessons ) Teachers' Reproducible Classroom Pages Teaching children Teaching Children Memory Verses Ages 4-5 Teaching Children To Pray Ages 4-5 Teaching to Change Lives (by Howard Hendrickss ) The Big Book of Bible Skits Things To Make Craft Activities 20 Bible Verses Every Child Should Know /CD (Heritage Builders ) Vacation Bible School What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know (by Elmer Towns ) [Picture of fruit divider] BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE http://childrenschapel.org/bibstory2.html Add/update a Bible story resource Copyright (c) 2012-2022 by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards You may NOT re-post this Bible story. 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