The following is an adaptation from Gabe Martinez' teaching entitled, "PreActs – 12 Baskets, 12 Stones and Being Ready to Act."

Many times, when we read the Gospels or Acts, we focus in on the miracles Jesus and the disciples did and that Jesus said we will do greater things than those. What we miss out on is the fact that these men went through storms. It was never a cakewalk.

Now, in Florida, we’re expectant of storms and quite frankly, I don’t know about you but I’m not exactly happy to see them. And that’s what I want you to think about today. When "storms" come up in your life, how do you react?

Let’s look at how Jesus reacts when confronted with "storms" when he fed the Five Thousand. When confronted with a mass of people clamoring for food, he doesn’t flip out. He asks "What do you have?" He assesses what they have, and then thanks the Father for it.

So when storms come up in your life, how do you react? Would you rather be on dry land or in the boat with Jesus?

Whatever storm you have, Jesus can calm it, but the crux is recognizing him in the midst of it. Call on him during those storms, and trust that he’ll provide.

Northwest Gold is a series of easy-to-digest nuggets of wisdom from the best Northwest teachings. To read more on this topic, check out the full teaching "PreActs – 12 Baskets, 12 Stones and Being Ready to Act" and also view more teachings like this on the Re-Acts sermon series page.