3-1-2026: Rescue Me from Danger

Sermon Title: Rescue Me from Danger 

Scripture Reading: Psalm 18:16; Isaiah 43:1-3; Matthew 14:22-33; 2 Corinthians 5:7 

Sermon Focus: The disciples are in a fishing boat on the lake when a storm hits. Jesus goes out to meet them—walking on the water! And when Jesus approaches, Simon Peter wants to prove that he has the faith necessary to follow him and lead others. It turns out to be a humbling lesson for Peter. In the second message of our Lenten series, Pastor David shares about faith and doubt in the middle of life’s storms, and then he invites us to ask ourselves: “How do I need Jesus to rescue me from danger?”   Thank you for going deeper in conversation with your small group. Use the following questions to help guide your small group discussion:  

1. Begin by reading Matthew 14:22-33 to yourself silently, giving everyone a few minutes to read and reflect. After that, have someone read the passage aloud. How does this story encourage you? Also, how does it challenge you? 

2. We might be tempted to give Simon Peter a hard time for taking his eyes off of Jesus and sinking in the middle of the storm but consider this: Peter is the only disciple who got out of the boat! Take a moment to reflect on Peter’s courage and his deep desire to do the things that Jesus was doing. Can you relate to Peter? How might Peter’s faith inspire and encourage you right now? 

3. What would it look like for you to “step out of the boat” in faith? Is there an area where Jesus may be calling you to trust him more deeply? What fears or “winds and waves” tend to pull your focus away from him? 

4. Read Isaiah 43:1-3. God is reminding Israel of how he delivered them in the past. How has God delivered you? What sort of things has God done in your own life to rescue you from danger? How have these built your faith in him? 

5. Think about the response question for the week: “How do I need Jesus to rescue me from danger?” Where do you feel like you’re “in the storm” right now? What circumstances in your life feel overwhelming, uncertain, or out of your control? How does it change your perspective to believe that Jesus is present with you in that storm (not absent) and wants to rescue you?  

6. What does it mean for you personally to pray, “Lord, save me”? Why is it sometimes hard to admit we are sinking or need help? How have you experienced (or how do you need to experience) Jesus reaching out to you in grace? What might that look like for the Lord to rescue you from danger? 

7. LIFE ON MISSION QUESTION: Who around you is “sinking,” and how might Jesus use you to reach them this week? Is there someone in your life who is overwhelmed, hurting, or far from God? Who is that? And what would it look like for you to step toward them in faith—with a word of encouragement, an act of care, or an invitation? How can you be part of Jesus’ “rescue” by pointing them to him rather than trying to save them on your own? Name and pray for them.