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Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but the boat by this time was a long way^[a] from the land,^[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night^[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ 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 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind,^[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

We’ve all had those times in our lives where something terrible happens, and we freak out. In this part of God’s Word, we see the 12 disciples in that very situation. By taking a look at this passage of Scripture, and observing what Jesus teaches them, we too can learn what we are to do when we find ourselves in freak out mode.

When You’re Freaking Out, Be Sure To:

 

1. Be watchful for where God is moving

Matt. 14:26, Ps. 34:18, 51:17, 147:3, Is. 55:6

2. Remember, God is with you

Matt. 14:27, 1:22-23, 18:20, 28:19-20, Is. 7:14, 9:6-7, 41:10, Gen. 1:1

3. Be honest with God

Matt. 14:28, 11:2-3, Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Kings 19:4

4. Be willing to step out in faith

Matt. 14:29, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-3, Prov. 3:5-6, Heb. 11:1

5. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus

Matt. 14:30-31, Col. 3:2, 1 Pet. 2:9-10, Heb. 12:2, Is. 26:3

6. Continually worship the Lord

Matt. 14:32, Rom. 12:1, 1 Pet. 2:5, Heb. 13:15-16

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

• Take some time to read over Matthew 14:22-33 and pray. 
• Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
• What surprised you as we talked about it?
• As we talked about this part of God’s Word, and what Jesus teaches His disciples when they are freaking out, what stood out to you the most? 
• When are you most likely to find yourself freaking out? Why is that?

Diving In 

• Read Matthew 14:22-26. These were familiar waters to the disciples, and they would have been very used to storms popping up. So, for them to be afraid, must have meant that this storm was pretty bad. Evenso, they assume that when they see someone walking on water, it is a ghost, and not Jesus. So many times we can become so focused on what is causing us to freak out, that we forget to look for where God is moving, and what He’s trying to teach us. How can you be more observant of what God is doing in and around you, even in the midst of terrible circumstances? 
• Read Matthew 14:27. Jesus, knowing the disciples’ hearts, comforts them by reminding them that it is Him, and not a ghost, so they shouldn’t be afraid. How can you better remind yourself that God is always with you? 
• Read Matthew 14:28. Peter is very honest with Jesus. Many times, when we’re in freak out mode, we like to mask our emotions, instead of just going to God, and being honest with Him. How likely are you to fall into that mistake? Why is that? What can you do to be more open and honest with the Lord? 
• Read Matthew 14:29. Instead of chastising Peter for testing Him, Jesus simply tells Peter to come on out onto the water. This really shows us Jesus’ kindness and patience towards Peter. It also shows us the need to be willing to step out in faith when God calls us to do something. What’s the largest step of faith that you feel like God has called you to do? How did it go? How can you be willing to take a step of faith the next time God calls you to something? 
• Read Matthew 14:30-31. Peter looks away from Jesus, and onto the storm and becomes afraid. He doubts Jesus. Have you ever gone through a season of doubt? What happened? How can you keep your focus on Jesus?
• Read Matthew 14:32. After seeing what Jesus did, the disciples worship Jesus. What has God done in your life, and how could remembering that help you to continually worship God? 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

• What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
• How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
• Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

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Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?