Breaking Ground
What makes you feel most relaxed? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ & Advent by exploring the theme of peace through the story of Jesus calming the storm.
What does peace mean to you? How would you define it? What makes you feel most & least at peace in your life? Why?
Next, read Matthew 8:23-27. In this story, Jesus & the disciples are caught in a violent storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee. This leads the disciples to panic & alert Jesus to their danger. In response, Jesus calms the raging seas; which makes the disciples to wonder, in stunned amazement, if Jesus is even the same kind of human that they are (because only God had the power to still & save from the chaotic waters in the worldview of the Hebrew Scriptures).
With this in mind, reflect upon this story & what it reveals about who Jesus is.
What stands out to you the most from this story? What features or elements do you find most interesting? Why?
How do the disciples react to their predicament? How does this differ from Jesus’ response to it? What does the difference between their reactions reveal about their internal worlds & understanding of their situation?
Critically, Jesus rebukes the disciples before stilling the storm. Thus, this implies that he believes they could & should have been able to find peace WITHIN this chaos that had made them afraid, not only after it was resolved.
How can we be at peace in the midst of chaos? What does this reveal about the kind of peace that Jesus believes we can foster in our lives & how does that challenge our most common understandings of peace?
Where do you currently feel like some form of chaos (in your personal life or world) is taking away your peace? What about it is making you feel so unsettle & distressed?
How can you redefine your understanding of peace so that it could be found within that experience of chaos? How might that help you overcome fear & adopt a healthier response towards that part of your world moving forward?
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the story from the story & how you can find yourself within it during this season of your life.
- Read Matthew 8:23-27. First, break this story down into pieces. What is Jesus doing in this story? How are people responding to him? What changes by the end of the story?
- Next, close your eyes & reflect upon the story. Imagine yourself in it. Put yourself into the space of the various characters & imagine what it would be like to encounter Jesus in the story.
- What images, teachings, or ideas speak to you the most in this story? What intrigues or confuses you? What feelings arose as you thought about being in the story? How can this story impact your life & your relationship with Jesus in this next season?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Simply Jesus by NT Wright
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, December 15th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ!
* Please see mye3.org for details.