12-Week Study & Discussion Guide

If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat

by John Ortberg·83 discussion questions

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Last updated August 16, 2026

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Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33.

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Ortberg opens by noting that there are two kinds of people in the boat: those who got out (Peter) and those who stayed in. Before reading any further, which person do you most identify with right now — the one who steps out or the one who stays seated? What does that tell you about your current season of faith?

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About This Study Guide

At a glance: this is a 12-week study and discussion guide for If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg, with 83 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.

John Ortberg's If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat is built around one of the most vivid scenes in the Gospels: Peter stepping out of a storm-tossed boat to walk toward Jesus on the water (Matthew 14:22–33). Ortberg uses this story as a lens for exploring the life of faith — specifically the kind of faith that requires risk, vulnerability, and a willingness to leave behind what feels safe. The book's central argument is simple but bracing: you will never experience the full adventure God has for you as long as you stay in the boat. The "boat" represents whatever zone of comfort, control, or familiarity keeps you from responding to Jesus' invitation to "Come." Growth in character, intimacy with God, and alignment with his purposes are all found outside the boat — and nowhere else.

Week 1: Introduction — The Boat, the Water, and the Call

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Read the Introduction of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33.

Before diving into the chapters, take time this week to sit with the foundational image of the book — a small wooden boat, a stormy sea, and a figure walking toward you on the water — and ask yourself honestly: where are you standing right now?

2.The book's central image is 'the boat' — a symbol of whatever feels safe, familiar, and under control in your life.

a.What is your 'boat' right now? Name it as specifically as you can — a job, a relationship pattern, a spiritual habit, a dream you've been afraid to pursue.

b.What would it cost you, practically and emotionally, to step out of it?

3.Ortberg points out that Peter is the only disciple who walked on water — but he's also the one who got out of the boat. The eleven who stayed behind stayed dry. What does this suggest about the relationship between risk and spiritual experience?

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12-Week Schedule

Week 2: Chapter 1 — Lord, If It's You

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Read Chapter 1 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33.

1.Ortberg observes that Peter doesn't just leap out of the boat — he asks Jesus to command him. Why is this detail significant? What does it reveal about how Peter understood the relationship between his own initiative and divine invitation?

+ 5 more questions in the full guide

Week 3: Chapter 2 — Boat Potatoes

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Read Chapter 2 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33; Hebrews 11:1–6.

1.Ortberg describes 'boat potatoes' as people who are technically in the boat with Jesus but have no intention of getting out. What are the signs of a 'boat potato' faith? How is it different from genuine rest or godly patience?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 4: Chapter 3 — Discovering Your Call

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Read Chapter 3 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4–10; Ephesians 2:10.

1.Ortberg distinguishes between a general calling (every Christian is called to love God and neighbor) and a specific calling (the unique adventure God has designed for you). Why does that distinction matter, and how have you thought about your own specific calling?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 5: Chapter 4 — Seeking God in the Storm

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Read Chapter 4 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33; Psalm 107:23–31.

1.Ortberg notes something remarkable: Jesus sends the disciples into the storm. He doesn't protect them from it in advance. What does this tell you about how Jesus views difficulty in the lives of his followers?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 6: Chapter 5 — Facing Our Challenges and Fears

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Read Chapter 5 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:7; Isaiah 41:10.

1.Ortberg identifies fear as one of the primary reasons people stay in the boat. He distinguishes between healthy fear (which protects) and toxic fear (which paralyzes). How do you tell the difference in your own experience?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 7: Chapter 6 — Eyes on the Water

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Read Chapter 6 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:29–30; Hebrews 12:1–2.

1.Ortberg lingers on the moment Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and looks at the wind and waves. He argues this is the decisive turning point. In your own spiritual walk, what are the 'winds and waves' that most reliably pull your gaze away from Jesus?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 8: Chapter 7 — Learning to Wait on the Water

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Read Chapter 7 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Isaiah 40:28–31; Psalm 27:13–14.

1.Ortberg distinguishes between passive waiting (doing nothing) and active waiting (continuing to prepare, pray, and obey while trusting God's timing). What does active waiting look like in a practical situation you are currently facing?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 9: Chapter 8 — Transformed by Failure

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Read Chapter 8 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:30–31; John 21:15–19.

1.Ortberg argues that failure is not the opposite of water-walking faith — it is often part of the water-walking experience. How does this reframe the way you think about your own spiritual failures or missed steps?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 10: Chapter 9 — The Magnificent Defeat

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Read Chapter 9 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Genesis 32:22–32; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10.

1.Ortberg calls Jacob's encounter at the Jabbok a 'magnificent defeat' — a moment where losing to God turned out to be the greatest victory of Jacob's life. Have you ever experienced something like this — a surrender to God that felt like defeat but produced unexpected blessing?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 11: Chapter 10 — Changing Your World

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Read Chapter 10 of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Primary Scripture: Matthew 14:31–33; Acts 2:14–41.

1.Ortberg observes that after Peter walks on water, the disciples in the boat worship Jesus — and their faith is deepened by watching someone else step out. Who in your own life has been shaped by watching you take a step of faith, even if you weren't aware of it at the time?

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Week 12: Review & Reflection

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Review your notes and journal entries from all chapters of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.

1.Return to the answer you gave in Week 1 about what you hoped to gain from this study. In what ways has that hope been met? In what ways has the book surprised or challenged you in directions you didn't expect?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

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About the If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat guide

How many weeks is the If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat study guide?

This study guide covers If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat in 12 weeks, with week-by-week discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 83 discussion questions across 12 weeks — an average of 7 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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