Message Notes
Look Back
How successful were you in focusing on accepting that God truly wants to forgive your sins and help you rewrite the story of your life going forward? How did you respond and share His incredible gift with others?
Look Up
Read Matthew 4:18-22
- What specifically did Jesus invite Peter to do and become in these verses? Do you think that he understood what this meant? Why or why not?
- What do you think Jesus saw in Peter and the others who were fishing with him? What did they need to do to live up to this potential?
- How did Peter and the others respond to Jesus? Why do you think they responded this way and how do you think most people would have responded?
Read Matthew 16:13-23
- What did Peter see in Jesus that the others failed to recognize? Why was Peter able to see this and what does this tell us about him?
- What did Jesus say would be Peter’s future role and responsibilities and how does this compare to being a “fisher of men”? Do you think Peter understood that he would be given this responsibility when he left his nets to follow Jesus?
- What did Jesus say to correct Peter’s understanding of God’s plan in verse 23? What warning does Jesus give Peter and how does this apply to how we should correctly see ourselves and God?
Overall (Discovery Bible Study)
- What do these scriptures say about God?
- What do they say about people?
- How will I apply this to my life?
Look Ahead
In what ways does God see you differently than how you see yourself? Ask God to begin “correcting your vision”. Group
Notes
1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him". Jesus’ invitation to follow Him led Peter through unexpected and extraordinary experiences. While Peter often stumbled and took his focus off of God, Jesus’ continued to see his potential and the plans that God had prepared in advance for Peter. Like Peter, we often lose our focus and need others to help us see things differently. Encourage the members of your group to help each other in staying focused on God’s plan for us.
