Hi everyone! Hoping to generate some discussion. We have begun to study "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat'. Had a wonderful discussion Tuesday night! Afterwards, while sending prayer requests, I took one question from the study guide and expounded on it. Would like to promote growth.
It is a beautiful thing to see all your smiling faces sharing hearts on Tuesday. Always look forward to it!
We had a great discussion of the material. I believe that is is important that we look at the Biblical story and it's nuances, but more important to try and apply what we learn from it to our lives. That means change of behavior and attitude that is an ever present filter sensitive to God's leading.
For example: Here is the scene...about 20-25ish people in what must have been a decent size boat to hold that many - being tossed about by giant waves and winds. Rough ride... So from the flickers of lightning, as they are holding onto something tight, they see a figure approaching...walking toward them on top of the frothy waves. Just try to place yourself in that situation for a minute. Boat tossed about, wind screaming, the driving rain drenching your face making it hard to see at all. Literally wondering if you are going to survive. Then here comes Jesus, but you don't know that yet. In that time people worshiped all kinds of gods, like Zeus. Could have been a siren or a mermaid bent on your destruction. Or maybe that monster from the fireside story last week... The point is that they were desperately hanging on and minds were full of thoughts of survival, deeply and actively scared. You would be also.
Then here comes Jesus.
Right in the midst of hanging on for dear life. When all your thoughts and strength are being spent on making sure the rope holding you the mast is tight and you don't drown from all the rain and froth being blown in your face. Then He says: "It is I". How can that be? Is this wishful thinking? How could it be real?
Peter heard the Master's voice. His response - run to safety. I mean, here comes Jesus through the raging storm without a boat walking across the tops of the waves. Peter has to wait for the chance to be able to untie himself, make it to the side, and jump out of the seeming safety of the boat in-between waves throwing the boat around like a paper airplane in a hurricane. That took some steel nerves and hard fought struggle to accomplish, but there he was on top of the waves. He, with mortal perception of circumstance, took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the raging storm for a moment and sank. Then, with Agape Grace, Jesus showed that He did not need Peter's focus - He had Peter in His hands the whole time. In fact, He had all of them in His hands. Most did not see that...
The question: What impact did this event have on the disciples? (#4)
Let's consider that for a moment and make it personal. Here you are strapped to the mast hanging on for dear life. There are many kinds of storms in life... Then here comes Jesus in the midst of all the troubles and says "Come". There you are clinging on to the safety you can touch and feel, hanging by your last thread, don't know the outcome - but it ain't looking good for whatever circumstance there may be. Peter, your close friend, lets go of the physical and makes an extraordinary leap of faith. But you continue to hang onto the boat with all your own strength. After a few minutes, Peter and Jesus come back together and Peter has had an experience you will not ever get a chance to partake of - you missed the opportunity to have a marvelous, supernatural adventure with the Creator of the universe.
If I were to attempt to define the feeling it would be one of a combination of emptiness and loss.
Here is the personal part: Have you ever missed the opportunity and felt empty or that you lost something never now to be gained? Like one of those that did not leave the safety of the boat only to find out what they missed out on afterwards? Now the difficult to admit question: how many times have you felt that loss of a missed opportunity? Does it make you want to miss no more or do you become complacent and lukewarm focused on the storm at hand? For the record, I could not count the opportunities I've missed. Hard as I try I miss them every day.
This material is deep and gives way for much thought and application. One question (#4) led to this interpretation of this possible application to our lives - to see opportunities and forgo the fear that keeps us from acting on them, relying on Jesus' strength and not our own. To seize opportunities that are fleeting and only come once.
It is a beautiful thing to see all your smiling faces sharing hearts on Tuesday. Always look forward to it!
We had a great discussion of the material. I believe that is is important that we look at the Biblical story and it's nuances, but more important to try and apply what we learn from it to our lives. That means change of behavior and attitude that is an ever present filter sensitive to God's leading.
For example: Here is the scene...about 20-25ish people in what must have been a decent size boat to hold that many - being tossed about by giant waves and winds. Rough ride... So from the flickers of lightning, as they are holding onto something tight, they see a figure approaching...walking toward them on top of the frothy waves. Just try to place yourself in that situation for a minute. Boat tossed about, wind screaming, the driving rain drenching your face making it hard to see at all. Literally wondering if you are going to survive. Then here comes Jesus, but you don't know that yet. In that time people worshiped all kinds of gods, like Zeus. Could have been a siren or a mermaid bent on your destruction. Or maybe that monster from the fireside story last week... The point is that they were desperately hanging on and minds were full of thoughts of survival, deeply and actively scared. You would be also.
Then here comes Jesus.
Right in the midst of hanging on for dear life. When all your thoughts and strength are being spent on making sure the rope holding you the mast is tight and you don't drown from all the rain and froth being blown in your face. Then He says: "It is I". How can that be? Is this wishful thinking? How could it be real?
Peter heard the Master's voice. His response - run to safety. I mean, here comes Jesus through the raging storm without a boat walking across the tops of the waves. Peter has to wait for the chance to be able to untie himself, make it to the side, and jump out of the seeming safety of the boat in-between waves throwing the boat around like a paper airplane in a hurricane. That took some steel nerves and hard fought struggle to accomplish, but there he was on top of the waves. He, with mortal perception of circumstance, took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the raging storm for a moment and sank. Then, with Agape Grace, Jesus showed that He did not need Peter's focus - He had Peter in His hands the whole time. In fact, He had all of them in His hands. Most did not see that...
The question: What impact did this event have on the disciples? (#4)
Let's consider that for a moment and make it personal. Here you are strapped to the mast hanging on for dear life. There are many kinds of storms in life... Then here comes Jesus in the midst of all the troubles and says "Come". There you are clinging on to the safety you can touch and feel, hanging by your last thread, don't know the outcome - but it ain't looking good for whatever circumstance there may be. Peter, your close friend, lets go of the physical and makes an extraordinary leap of faith. But you continue to hang onto the boat with all your own strength. After a few minutes, Peter and Jesus come back together and Peter has had an experience you will not ever get a chance to partake of - you missed the opportunity to have a marvelous, supernatural adventure with the Creator of the universe.
If I were to attempt to define the feeling it would be one of a combination of emptiness and loss.
Here is the personal part: Have you ever missed the opportunity and felt empty or that you lost something never now to be gained? Like one of those that did not leave the safety of the boat only to find out what they missed out on afterwards? Now the difficult to admit question: how many times have you felt that loss of a missed opportunity? Does it make you want to miss no more or do you become complacent and lukewarm focused on the storm at hand? For the record, I could not count the opportunities I've missed. Hard as I try I miss them every day.
This material is deep and gives way for much thought and application. One question (#4) led to this interpretation of this possible application to our lives - to see opportunities and forgo the fear that keeps us from acting on them, relying on Jesus' strength and not our own. To seize opportunities that are fleeting and only come once.
Life does seem to have sorrows.
Tears and cries abound.
But always hold, in your heart so tight -
the knowing that it will all be alright.
Our Savior holds victory over all complete.
Circumstance lies by the way.
Tears and cries abound.
But always hold, in your heart so tight -
the knowing that it will all be alright.
Our Savior holds victory over all complete.
Circumstance lies by the way.
