Bible ReadingMatthew 14:22-33 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
[26:35] And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
[26:37] When evening came, he was there alone,
[26:42] but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
[26:55] And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
[26:56] But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
[27:01] But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
[37:15] And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
[37:17] He said, “Come.”
[37:19] So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
[37:20] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
[40:27] Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
[40:48] And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
[46:46] And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
[46:49]Matthew 14:13-21 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.
[35:02] But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
[35:09] When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
[35:21] Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
[35:33] But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
[35:35] They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”
[35:40] And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
[35:43] Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing.
[35:47] Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
[35:51] And they all ate and were satisfied.
[35:57] And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
[36:03] And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
[36:13]Matthew 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
[37:44] And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
[37:50] And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”
[37:53] And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Observation questions- Before Peter stepped out of the boat, what had he already seen Jesus do in the recent past that would have shown him Jesus was trustworthy? [37:44]
- In Matthew 14, what order do the events happen in once Peter begins to sink? What does Peter cry out, what does Jesus do immediately, and what does Jesus say after that? [40:48]
- What details in the passage show that Peter was not simply pretending to believe, but really did trust Jesus and still struggled with fear? [38:45]
- When Jesus met the crowds in Matthew 14:13-21, what was his response to them, and how does that set the stage for what happens later with the disciples on the water? [35:43]
Interpretation questions- Jesus says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” after taking hold of Peter. How does that order shape the way this moment should be understood? [41:57]
- Peter had both real faith and real doubt at the same time. How does that help explain the experience of many Christians who sincerely believe, yet still become overwhelmed by fear? [48:18]
- The disciples worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God,” after he saved Peter and stilled the wind. What does that response suggest about what this whole event was meant to reveal about Jesus? [46:49]
- Faith matters deeply, but faith itself is not the Savior. Why is that distinction so important when a person feels spiritually weak, guilty, or overwhelmed? [43:28]
Application questions- When life feels like wind and waves right now, is the heart more tempted to stare at the trouble or to stare at the strength of its own faith? What would it look like this week to look instead to Jesus himself? [50:04]
- Is there a place in life where the thought is, “If I could just trust better, then maybe I’d be okay”? How might it change that struggle to hear again, “I’m here. I’ve got you. You can trust me”? [45:34]
- When guilt over past sin feels heavy, what does the heart usually reach for first: self-defense, shame, numbness, or trying to be better? What would it look like to bring that guilt to the pierced hands of Jesus instead? [47:57]
- Peter cried out, “Lord, save me,” while he was sinking. What does it look like in everyday life to pray that simple prayer honestly, without pretending to be stronger than one really is? [40:16]
- Jesus deals gently with the weak, the sad, the overwhelmed, and the doubting. Who in this group’s life may need that same kind of gentle, Christ-centered care right now, and what might that look like in practice? [48:46]
- In moments of fear, some people mostly hear, “Do better. Believe harder.” Where has that kind of pressure shown up personally, and how is it different from the safety Jesus gives? [44:04]
- Looking back over life, where can a person already see that Jesus held on even during wandering, stumbling, or seasons of very weak faith? [51:00]
