If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Eyes on the Water
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.
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Peter walked on water — and then he sank, and the sequence of those two events is just as instructive as the first step out of the boat.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.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?
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