3/3 - 3/7 Life Group Questions
^ Click Take A Note ^ Remember to write down some short notes for each of the questions below before heading to life group.
1.
Share 1 thing that stood out to you about Sunday's Message. (1 minute max please) Also press play button in image above to listen to Sundays message if you missed it or just to refresh your memory. (Each Individual)
2. The Nature Of Authority
Matthew 8:23-27
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 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. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 14:25-29
25 And in the fourth watch of the night 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.”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn compared these two passages to show that Jesus continues to expect more faith from His followers and He expects to be given more authority in their lives as time goes on. Jesus doesn't calm the storm in the second story like He had done previously. Instead He allows His followers to endure the elements and He tells them to be courageous & fearless. When Jesus calls Peter out onto the water He is exercising His authority over the water AND over Peter's life. Peter was willing to step out and Peter wanted to step out but it wasn't until Jesus called him that he did step out. Peter had given Jesus the authority to leave him in the boat suffering under the waves and wind, and he had also given Jesus the authority to call him to walk on water. Pastor Vaughn asked us to consider that to all of the other disciples, getting out of the boat seemed like a step in the wrong direction. A boat being battered by wind and waves still makes more sense then jumping into the water.
Is it possible that the boat without Jesus is more dangerous than the water is with Him? Is it possible that the circumstances of our lives don't matter nearly as much as whether or not we are with Jesus in the midst of them? How can we do a better job of giving Jesus the authority to tell us to stay in our boats even if we are suffering? How can we do a better job of giving Jesus the authority to move us forward? Forward into obvious blessings or forward into seemingly worse situations? (Group Discussion)
3. Over Natural & Into Super-Natural
Matthew 14:28-31
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, 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?”
On Sunday Pastor Vaughn told us that God wants us to have dominion over the natural and the way in which we do that is to walk & live in the super-natural. When Peter is called out of the boat to walk on the water Jesus empowers him to have dominion over nature just as He Himself does. As image bearers who are given authority over creation God has given us what is needed to exercise our authority over nature. As new testament sons and daughters of God we have been given what is needed to exercise authority over sin and our flesh. We have been given the Holy Spirit. We have a human nature AND we are super-natural as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. On Sunday Pastor Vaughn asked to consider that Peter may have begun to sink because he was in the beginning stages of learning how to walk in the Spirit, walk above the elements, and literally walk on water. Pastor Vaughn said that we are living a life long journey as Christians where Jesus is teaching us to walk on water in every area of our lives.
Why do so many Christians struggle to believe in the Supernatural in general? (Miracles, healings, new hearts, prophetic words etc.). Is a super-natural lifestyle actually possible where Christians encounter the same elements in life as everyone else but instead of being succumb by them and drowned under them Christians are able to live above them? How does Jesus teach us to walk on water? From first steps like Peter took to eventually walking with strength and even running. (Group Discussion)
* Remember to pray for each other before heading home from life group and to stay in communication here in the app throughout the week on your life group messaging thread!