Embassy elder Etienne Nel preaches this week from Matthew 8:23-27. In the story of Jesus calming a storm, the author shows us the dual nature of Christ. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ lived the perfect life and died for our sins. In his humanity, Christ sympathizes with us; in his divinity, Christ saves us. The scripture readings from our worship service were from Colossians 1:15-23 and 1 Timothy 2:3-6.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the parallels of Jonah and Jesus?
2. How is Jesus the greater Jonah?
3. Are there times in your life that you ask God why He is allowing the storm in your life and what the reason is?
4. What is the importance of knowing that Jesus was fully human and fully God
5. What importance is there to see Christ’s difference in humanity vs our humanity
6. How does it impact our relationship with him?
7. How is Jesus our help in times of need?
8. How does Jesus’ humanity and deity make it possible for us to approach God?
9. How do we follow the disciples’ examples by counting the costs of what it means to follow Jesus?
10. How have you seen the daily cross in believers’ lives? How does it impact their faith?
11. If you don’t know Christ, why would you want to follow God if it means there will be difficulty in your life and you would be asked to take up your cross daily?
12. What do you think keeps believers from dying to themselves daily? What keeps them from taking up their cross daily?
13. What do you think was the purpose of Jesus rebuking the disciples when they woke him to calm the storm?
14. What are the things that disturbed Jesus by how the disciples acted during the storm?
15. What is the importance of knowing God’s/Jesus’ power over nature?
16. How does Jesus’ divine sovereignty impact our daily lives?
17. How does God’s divinity impact His carrying our sins?
    Jesus is our mediator. How is this helpful to our lives and how we live our lives
18. How does Jesus’ divinity fuel our worship? How does it impact how we worship?
    What is the purpose of determining whether or not Jesus is the center of our faith
19. How would that reflect in our lives?
20. How does it look to have faith that focuses on the glory of God?
21. How would it work in your life if you waver in your faith when storms come? How do you change to strengthen your faith?
22. How does Jesus sympathize with us in our weaknesses? How is this helpful in our daily lives?