If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
Week 1: Introduction — The Boat, the Water, and the Call
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.
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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?
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.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.
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?
4.The book frames this as a story about the adventure God has designed for your specific life, not a generic call to recklessness. How do you personally distinguish between a God-prompted step of faith and an impulsive or foolish risk? What criteria would you use?
5.Ortberg writes that deep within every believer lies 'the same faith and longing that sent Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee.' Do you recognize that longing in yourself? When did you last feel it most strongly?
6.What do you hope to gain — personally, relationally, spiritually — by working through this book? Be specific enough that you can return to this answer in the final week of the study.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, we confess that we have often chosen the safety of the boat over the adventure of the water. We've mistaken comfort for faithfulness and called our fear 'wisdom.' As we begin this study, stir up the longing you placed within us — the desire to walk toward you even when the wind is loud and the waves are real. Give us honest eyes to see our boats clearly, and give us the courage to hear your word 'Come.' Amen.
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