Lean In // 5 minutes
What are some things you are hoping to accomplish “someday”?
Leader note: This question is intended to be light-hearted to get the group talking and create energy. As a leader, jump in and guide the direction and tone of the discussion.
Sample answers may include…
- Get married
- Have kids
- Travel
- Go back to school
- Buy a boat
- Retiring
- Learn a skill
Look Down // 15 minutes
Read Matthew 14:22-33
What do you observe about Jesus and the disciples?
Sample answers may include…
Jesus
- After feeding the five thousand (Matt. 14:13-21), Jesus gets alone to pray (v. 23)
- It is Jesus who comes to the disciples (v. 25)
- Jesus shows up in the storm, walking on water (vv. 24-25)
- Jesus reveals his identity and calms the disciple’s fear (v. 27)
- After rescuing Peter, Jesus handles the doubts of the disciples (v. 31)
- Jesus calms the storm (v. 32)
The disciples
- The disciples battle a storm for most of the night (vv. 24-25)
- They are afraid when Jesus comes walking toward them (v. 26)
- Wanting Jesus to verify his identity, Peter asks if he can walk on the water too (v. 28)
- Peter is the only disciple to get out of the boat and walk on the stormy water (v. 29)
- After Jesus walks on water and calms the storm, the disciples confess him as the Son of God (v. 33)
Commentary: When Jesus sends the disciples away by boat, they traveled about a mile or two off shore but were caught up in an intense wind and storm. Also, it was just before dawn before Jesus came to the disciples, which meant they had been battling the wind and storm for a large part of the night. Although they were exhausted, cold, and wet, Matthew focuses on their fear when they see something walking on the water and toward them. Jesus’ walking on water is suggestive of his mastery over the chaos of the storm and the disciple’s fear. Help your group to see that not only can Jesus walk on the stormy waters of life but he also invites us to do the same.
Look Out // 10 minutes
Where have you seen people take risks to start something new?
What are the barriers of launching into something new?
Sample answers may include…
- Quitting a job to follow a passion
- Adopting kids when the house is full
- Moving to a lower income neighborhood because you feel called to it
- Giving generously when faced with hardship
- Getting out of an unhealthy relationship without knowing what’s next
Look In // 20 minutes
Where in your life is God inviting you to get out of the boat?
What is holding you back?
What’s a truth from the passage that could help you take a step?
Leader note: It is important to help your group understand that just because you take a risk, it doesn’t always mean success. God doesn’t promise success, in the way that we might understand it, but he does promise the power of his presence. When Jesus showed up in the midst of the stormy water, he didn’t immediately calm the storm and fix the situation. However, he did provide his presence and an invitation to step out into the impossible in the midst of the unthinkable. As we take a step of faith, help your group see that we don’t have to be afraid because God is already there.
Live It Out // 5 minutes
What if we responded to God’s invitation and took “that” step out of the boat? How will it strengthen our faith and also inspire the faith of those around us?
Leader Note: As you finish the discussion and enter into a time of prayer, help your group to imagine what it could look like to step out. As a leader, it is difficult to take people to places that you haven’t been. Before leading the group, take some time to consider this question for yourself. What would it look like for you to take a step of faith in a specific area? Find some time this week to pray about where God may be leading you as well as your group.
Key Thought: God invites us into the impossible in the midst of the unthinkable.
Key Verse: But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” – Matthew 14:27
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Learn More About Flow Questions: Check out Kenton Beshore’s book Ask in the Irvine Campus Bookstore for more on the Flow Question model.
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