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Bible Study Dec. Week 4

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Faith vs. Fear

SCRIPTURE

MATTHEW 14:22–33

BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

This passage starts by stating, "Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat..." John's account of this story tells us why Jesus rushed to get his guys out of there. Jesus had just fed at least 5,000 people, and the crowd had decided they would force Jesus to be their king (John 6:15). Not wanting his followers to get caught up in the crowd’s way of thinking, Jesus sent his friends out onto the lake...into an oncoming storm. There sure didn’t seem to be any easy days following Jesus as one of his disciples. But they were also never left to face the storms alone.

Read Matthew 14:22 – 29 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• When did you last take a risk or leap of faith?

• What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?

• How strong would you say your faith is right now on a scale between 1 – 5? Why did you pick that number?

Read Matthew 14:30 – 31 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• What do you think was going through the disciples’ and Peter’s minds when they saw Jesus?

• What are the waves in your life that might take your focus off of Jesus?

• Why do we sometimes struggle to trust God to be God and do what he promises?

• Have you ever felt let down by God or others in the church? Why or why not?

Read Matthew 14:32 – 33 and discuss 1 – 2 of these questions:

• Why is it important to know Jesus and Peter walked on the water back to the boat?

• What are some of the impossible things you want to do with your life?

CONNECTION

APPLY IT

This week, take some time to think about your relationship with Jesus.

Do you really trust that he is with you in all circumstances?

Often, the only way to know for sure is to take a step of faith.

What can you do this week that helps move you or others closer to Jesus but requires you to step outside of your comfort zone?

Be Specific:

What are you going to do?

When are you going to do it?

Is there someone who can keep you accountable?

PRAYER:

Take time to pray for each other’s applications in the upcoming weeks.

MEMORY VERSE:

Parent Disscussion Questions.:

*How strong would you say your faith is right now on a scale between 1–5? Why did you pick that number?

*What are the waves in your life that might take your focus off of Jesus?

*What are some of the impossible things you want to do with your life?