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

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?

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

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?

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?

2.The chapter introduces the idea that water-walking begins with discernment: learning to recognize the voice of Jesus over every other voice calling to us. What are the competing 'voices' in your own life right now, and how do you tell them apart from Jesus' voice?

3.Ortberg discusses the fear and excitement that come together in the moment of stepping out — what he describes as the terrifying, thrilling nature of genuine faith.

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?

2.The chapter argues that staying in the boat is not a neutral decision — it is itself a choice with real spiritual consequences. Do you agree? Have you ever experienced spiritual stagnation that came specifically from playing it safe? What happened?

3.Ortberg notes that many of us have constructed very comfortable boats — good careers, stable routines, respectable church attendance — and we call this 'the Christian life.' What is the difference, in his view, between a comfortable Christian life and a water-walking one?

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?

2.The chapter explores the idea that calling is often found at the intersection of your deepest gladness and the world's deep need — a concept Ortberg borrows from Frederick Buechner. Where do you see those two things intersecting in your own life right now?

3.Ortberg points out that many people avoid discovering their call because, once they know it, they'll be responsible for responding to it. Have you ever sensed a calling and then deliberately looked away from it? What made you turn away?

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?

2.The chapter explores the idea that storms — loss, failure, illness, uncertainty — are often the very settings where we encounter Jesus most vividly. Has this been true in your experience? Describe a 'storm' that turned out to be a place of unexpected encounter with God.

3.Ortberg writes that the disciples' first reaction to seeing Jesus on the water was terror — they thought he was a ghost. Why is it that we sometimes fail to recognize Jesus' presence precisely when he is nearest to us in our struggles?

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?

2.The chapter explores the fear of failure — the worry that if we step out and sink, we will be humiliated, prove ourselves unworthy, or lose what we have. How much does the fear of failure shape your decisions? Where did that fear come from?

3.Ortberg points out that Jesus' words to the frightened disciples are 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid' — and he argues that this sequence matters: courage is commanded before the fear is removed. What do you make of the idea that courage is not the absence of fear but action taken in spite of it?

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?

2.The chapter explores the concept of 'attention' as a spiritual discipline — the idea that what we habitually look at shapes who we become. How do you intentionally practice keeping your attention on Jesus in the midst of a busy or anxious life?

3.Ortberg makes an important observation: Peter sank not while he was in the boat, but while he was on the water. Getting out of the boat does not protect you from failure — it exposes you to a different kind of risk. How does this reframe the relationship between obedience and outcomes?

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?

2.The chapter explores the frustration and temptation of waiting — the pull to take control, manufacture outcomes, or give up altogether. Which of these temptations is most characteristic of you, and what has it cost you in the past?

3.Isaiah 40 promises that those who wait on the Lord will 'soar on wings like eagles.' Ortberg unpacks the Hebrew word for 'wait' (qavah) as having the sense of binding or twisting together — like strands of a rope becoming stronger under tension. What does it mean to be 'bound to' God in a season of waiting?

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?

2.The chapter makes a crucial distinction between failing and being a failure. Ortberg argues that what we do with our failures — whether we let them define us or inform us — makes all the difference. Where do you tend to land on that spectrum?

3.Ortberg explores the idea of 'constructive suffering' — that some of our deepest character formation happens not in success but in the honest reckoning with our own limitations. Can you identify a specific failure that, with hindsight, did significant formative work in you?

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?

2.The chapter argues that there are moments when God meets us in ways that are painful, disorienting, and even wounding — and that this is not a sign of his absence or anger but of his deep work in us. How does this square with your understanding of God? Is it difficult or comforting to hear?

3.Jacob refuses to let go until he receives a blessing — a relentless, almost demanding posture with God. Ortberg frames this not as presumption but as the kind of desperate, persistent faith that God honors. Do you bring this kind of tenacity to your own prayers and encounters with God? What holds you back?

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?

2.The chapter argues that water-walking is never just about your personal spiritual journey — it has a ripple effect on others. How does this expand your motivation for getting out of the boat beyond personal growth or spiritual adventure?

3.Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2) is the full fruit of all the water-walking, sinking, and restoring that came before. He stands up in front of thousands — a very different kind of 'getting out of the boat.' How did the earlier experiences of risk and failure prepare him for this moment?

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?

2.Which chapter or concept from the book has stayed with you most powerfully? Was it the call to get out of the boat, the invitation to seek God in the storm, the idea of the magnificent defeat, the challenge to keep your eyes on Jesus, or something else? What made it land so deeply?

3.Ortberg uses the image of 'the boat' throughout the entire book. Looking back, has your understanding of what your boat is become clearer, more complicated, or different from what you thought at the start? Describe how your answer has changed.