Matthew 14:22-33

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Matthew 14:22-33

Courageous Faith

January 5, 2025 • Kevin Maloney • Matthew 14:22–33

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Sermon Discussion Questions:

1) How can we cultivate courage?

2) How can you practice both proactive courage (stepping out in faith) and reactive courage (holding fast under pressure) in your daily walk with Christ?

3) How has God used past failures to grow your trust in Him?

4) How can prayer help you develop the courage to face life’s storms? Share an example of a time when prayer strengthened you during a difficult situation.

5) Who in your life needs encouragement to trust God in their own storm? How can you come alongside them, offering support and pointing them to Christ?

Matthew 17:14-23

March 2, 2025 • Kevin Maloney • Matthew 17:14–23

In Matthew 17:14-23, Jesus makes a surprising promise to his disciples: faith in God has real power. How do we get the kind of faith? Is it something we muster up, or is it simply an empty hand ready to receive? Kevin walks us through the three-fold dimensions of faith: knowledge, trust, and ascent. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1) In what ways do we, like the disciples, sometimes place our faith in a false version of Jesus—one of our own making? How can we guard against this? 2) The sermon mentioned that faith is not about controlling God but trusting in Christ. Have you ever struggled with treating faith as a way to get what you want from God? How does this change our understanding of prayer? 3) Jesus says that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). How does this challenge the idea that we need "more" faith rather than properly placed faith? 4) Jesus tells the disciples that the kind of faith needed to cast out the demon comes through prayer (Mark 9:29). What does this teach us about the relationship between faith, prayer, and humility? How can we grow in this area?

Matthew 17:1-13

February 23, 2025 • Cody Wilbanks • Matthew 17:1–13

This week, Cody Wilbanks walks us through the significance of the Transfiguration, a unique event in the life of Jesus. In Matthew 17:1-13, Jesus takes his disciples up a mountain and is transformed before them in the presence of God. What do the reactions of the disciples, especially Peter, show us about our own engagement with this event? How does the Transfiguration point us to the promise of Christ's return prophesied by the apostle John in Revelation? How are we, too, to become transformed unto the likeness of Jesus? Join us as we unpack these meanings found in Matthew 17:1-13. SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Why were the disciples’ and Moses’ visions of God’s glory temporary? 2. What does Jesus’ dual nature (truly God and truly man) teach us about Jesus in the Transfiguration scene? 3. How can you and I behold the glory of Jesus today? 4. In what ways (good or bad) do we become what/who we behold? 5. The Transfiguration is an incredible scene we probably won’t fully grasp. So, what lingering questions do you still have about this moment in the life of Jesus?

Matthew 16:21-28

February 16, 2025 • Kevin Maloney • Matthew 16:21–28

This week, Kevin takes us through Jesus' call for his followers to take up their cross and follow Him in Matthew 16:21-28. Like Peter, we are all challenged by the centrality of the cross. From church movements that decentralize the gospel to our own lack of trust in it, we often look to other things to be our main power source. Jesus' death on the cross is not only sufficient for us, but it empowers us to take up our own cross each day and live in the light of His resurrection. Small Group Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think Peter initially rejected the idea of Jesus suffering and dying? 2. What are some ways we might unknowingly resist the call to take up our own cross and follow Jesus? 3. What is one practical way you can embrace the way of the cross in your daily life this week? 4. How does the cross reshape our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus? 5. In what areas of your life do you struggle to surrender to God’s will, like Peter did? 6. What does it mean to “set your mind on the things of God” rather than “the things of man” (Matthew 16:23)? 7. How can we encourage one another to faithfully carry our crosses and follow Jesus in our daily lives?