EXPLORE THE TEXT
Jesus’s power should lead us to worship Him.
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand,
caught hold of him,
and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Summarize the following from page 15 of the PSG
Engage adults in responding with their own insight:
“Unlike the calming of the storm in Matthew 8, Jesus said nothing to the elements of nature.
The storm apparently stopped without a word from Jesus.
Calm occurred the moment Peter and Jesus got into the boat.
The presence of Jesus in the boat most likely calmed the storm in the hearts of the disciples as well.
Not only did the wind stop, but suddenly the boat was at the shore, a goal the disciples had labored for most of the night to accomplish. .These nature miracles of Jesus were not for show,
but always to meet the need of the moment.
In this case, it was the rescue of the disciples.
This was a tangible response to a desperate situation.”
Direct attention to the Summary Statement for this session:
Jesus is greater than anything we fear.
How do you see that truth revealed in today's passage?
Jesus has a way of transforming our doubts and fears into faith and worship.
No matter what we are experiencing in life,
we can be sure that He is in control and that He can calm any storm we face.
Challenge adults to demonstrate Peter’s courage by stepping out of their “boat”
and to refuse to let the “winds” distract them
from what Jesus is doing in their lives.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 17 of the Personal Study Guide:
Allow adults to share which of these statements provide the greatest encouragement for them today.
Direct half the group to read and reflect on the first set of questions on page 17 of the PSG. Instruct the other half to do the same with the second set of questions. After a few minutes, review responses from each group. Talk about how the responses to each question should shape their prayers and their daily walk with Jesus.
Help adults remember that Jesus is Lord of every storm and that no struggle is outside of His power and authority. Say: As we walk toward Jesus in our storms, we can believe He has the power to get us where we need to be. Challenge the group to reflect on God’s faithfulness each day as a way to gain courage and to establish hope for the future.
Remind adults to use Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Matthew’s Gospel) as a way to pray the truths of today’s session back to God. Invite adults to pray silently for the people beside them, specifically that they would know Jesus is with them in their storms.
Send a text or email to the group reminding them of the truths of this session. Note that there are hundreds of verses that urge us to reject fear. Suggest they choose one verse to reflect on this week and to share that with the group. You may also want to share the video to “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams from the Engage activity. Challenge adults to trust Jesus and His promises, not the lies of fear.
Christ is the eternal Son of God. (See John 1:1; Philippians 2:5-8.)
Examine and reflect on similarities between two passages.
Look for similarities between the event in Matthew 14:22-33 and Matthew 8:23-27. Then look for differences between the two events. Explain why you can be certain these were two different events.