When the Storm Hits: What the Apostle Paul Teaches Us About Trusting God in the Chaos

Meta Description: Pastor Jonathan Pokluda unpacked Acts 27 this Sunday to show us what to do when life feels out of control — and the answer is more freeing than you'd expect. URL Slug: jonathan-pokluda-trusting-god-in-the-storm-acts-27 Featured Image: A dramatic ocean storm with dark clouds breaking open to a single beam of light — or a wide shot of a ship on turbulent waters, evoking the Acts 27 narrative.

There's a question most of us are quietly carrying right now: What do I do when I can't control what's happening around me?

This Sunday, Bible teacher Jonathan Pokluda stepped into that question with honesty, humor, and a passage of Scripture that felt less like ancient history and more like a mirror. Drawing from Acts 27 — one of the most gripping chapters in the entire Bible — he walked us through the Apostle Paul's harrowing shipwreck experience and pulled out three principles that are as relevant today as they were in the first century.

Whether you're in the middle of a difficult season right now or you can feel one approaching, this message was for you.

You're Either In a Storm, Coming Out of One, or Heading Into One

Pastor Pokluda opened with a confession: he spent years terrified of flying. Not because of the planes themselves, but because of what flying represented — being completely out of control. That fear, he told us, is really the fear underneath most of our fears.

He set the scene from Acts 27: the Apostle Paul, a prisoner, boards a massive grain ship with 275 other people — sailors, soldiers, a Roman centurion, and his companions Luke and Aristarchus. Paul warns them not to sail. They ignore him. A hurricane-force wind called the Northeaster sweeps in, and for fourteen days, this ship full of people is thrown across the Adriatic Sea with no sun, no stars, and no hope.

"You're either in a storm, coming out of one, or headed toward one," Pastor Pokluda said plainly. "Every single person here falls into one of those three categories."

He invited us to name our storm — a struggling marriage, a prodigal child, a lost job, a health crisis, a season of deep loneliness. Whatever it is, Acts 27 has something to say to you.

Point 1: Stay Calm by Remembering Who Controls the Outcome

What's remarkable about Paul in this story is not that he had all the answers — it's that he remained calm while everyone else panicked. He couldn't control the weather, the sailors, or the centurion. But he trusted the One who could.

Pastor Pokluda drew a sharp and convicting observation here: we often determine our obedience based on our perceived outcome. If we don't think it will work, we don't do it. But Paul's life — and Scripture — challenges that logic entirely.

"God sometimes slays giants with boys and slingshots. Sometimes he sends people through a fiery furnace only to bring them through it. It doesn't make sense. It surpasses all logic."

He landed on a phrase worth writing down: Confidence in God produces calm in the chaos. Calm people lead scared people. And Paul, a prisoner in chains, became the most composed and trusted voice on that ship because everyone could see he knew who was actually in charge.

Point 2: The Storm Is Where Your Faith Is Seen

Pastor Pokluda shared the story of John Wesley — a seminary-trained minister, chaplain of a ship, and missionary — who watched German Moravian missionaries sing hymns with a smile during a violent ocean storm while everyone else screamed in terror. When Wesley asked how they could be so calm, one missionary looked at him and simply asked: "Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?"

That question became a rock in Wesley's shoe. He later pointed to that moment as his genuine conversion to faith.

The point landed with weight: people come to faith by seeing the faith of others. Your storm may be your greatest opportunity to show the world that you actually believe what you say you believe. As Pastor Pokluda reminded us, faith is most clearly displayed — and most powerfully witnessed — in the trials of life, not the comfortable moments.

Point 3: Do Your Part and Trust God for the Rest

After fourteen days without food, Paul does something surprising. He gathers everyone, takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of them all, breaks it, and begins to eat. It echoes communion. It's an act of worship in the middle of a crisis.

"You can't afford not to do what you feel like you can't do," Pastor Pokluda told us directly.

He pushed back on the tendency to cut spiritual disciplines when life gets hard — to skip church, skip Scripture, skip prayer — precisely when we need them most. The enemy, he said, loves to use anxiety and despair to distract us from the very things that sustain us.

"The decisions you make in the storm will impact your life after the storm."

This isn't passive faith. It's active trust — doing your part (prayer, the Word, community, staying on mission) while releasing the outcome to God.

Consider the Experience of the Pilot

Pastor Pokluda closed with a story that reframed everything. After years of white-knuckling flights, he sat next to a pilot who told him: "When we hit turbulence, that's the only time we get to use our training. We're having fun up there."

The invitation was clear: consider the experience of your Pilot.

He set the seas free from Egypt. He parted the Red Sea. He shut the mouths of lions. He fed thousands from almost nothing. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead. And then — he went to a cross, was placed in a grave, and walked out three days later.

"If He's defeated death, what are you afraid of? For he did not give you a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and self-discipline. If God is for you, then who can be against you?" (2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:31)

His experience is perfect. His track record is flawless. And he is flying this plane.

Take a Next Step This Week

If this message stirred something in you, don't let it sit unprocessed. Here are two simple ways to go deeper:

• Watch or rewatch the full sermon and share it with someone you know who's in a difficult season right now. This message was made for them.
• Get into community. Pastor Pokluda was clear: you cannot afford to face the storms of life alone. If you're not already connected to a small group where people know your name and your story, this week is a great time to take that step.

The storm may not be going anywhere. But the One who controls the outcome is with you in it.

Social Media Excerpt (Facebook/Instagram): What do you do when life feels completely out of control? This Sunday, Pastor Jonathan Pokluda took us to Acts 27 — Paul's harrowing shipwreck — and showed us that the storm isn't the end of the story. It might actually be where your faith becomes most visible. Read the full recap and share it with someone who needs it this week. 🙏

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