What would it have been like to be on the mountain with Jesus? Peter didn’t understand it in the moment, and that’s exactly the point. In this message, we explore the Transfiguration, what it teaches us about faith, and why discipleship is about following Jesus even when we don’t have all the answers.
Opening Prayer (2-3 minutes)
Begin by inviting God's presence into your gathering. Ask the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds to receive what God wants to reveal through this discussion.
Icebreaker Question (5-10 minutes)
If you could witness one moment from Jesus' life in person, which would you choose and why?
This question helps group members connect personally with the sermon's opening theme and sets the stage for discussing Peter's experience.
Key Takeaways from the Sermon
- Spiritual maturity doesn't mean always understanding everything immediately
- God invites us to live in holy moments, not manage or control them
- Jesus meets us in our confusion and fear with his healing touch
- Faith often makes sense backward—we understand experiences after living through them
- Discipleship means moving forward with Jesus, not trying to recreate or return to the past
Discussion Questions
Section 1: Peter's Confusion (15-20 minutes)
Q1: Peter was part of Jesus' inner circle, yet he still didn't understand what was happening on the mountain. How does this challenge our assumptions about spiritual maturity?
Q2: The sermon suggests Peter might have been "trying to manage the moment" by offering to build tents. When have you tried to manage or control a spiritual experience instead of simply being present in it? What was the result?
Q3: Why do you think it's so difficult for us to sit in mystery or uncertainty when it comes to faith?
Section 2: Jesus' Touch (10-15 minutes)
Q4: In Matthew's gospel, Jesus' touch brings healing. On the mountain, he touched the disciples to calm their fears. When have you experienced Jesus' presence bringing peace to your confusion or fear?
Q5: The sermon states: "Christ is not standing at a distance waiting for you to figure it out. He comes close." How does this truth challenge or comfort you in your current season of life?
Section 3: Understanding Backward (15-20 minutes)
Q6: The sermon says, "We don't think ourselves into new ways of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking." What does this mean to you? Can you share an example from your own faith journey?
Q7: Peter only understood the transfiguration years later, after resurrection and Pentecost. What past experience with God are you beginning to understand differently now than when you first went through it?
Q8: How does knowing that understanding often comes later change the way you approach current confusing or difficult circumstances?
Section 4: Moving Forward (15-20 minutes)
Q9: The sermon warns against trying to "go back" to when things made more sense or before things changed. Where might you (or our church community) be tempted to live in the past rather than move forward with Jesus?
Q10: God's voice from the cloud said simply, "Listen to him." What does it practically look like to listen to Jesus in the noise and complexity of daily life?
Q11: What would it mean for you personally to "stop trying to manage what God is revealing" and instead "live in the moment of the Spirit"?
Practical Applications
Individual Reflection
Choose one or more of these practices for the coming week:
-
Identify Your Mountain Moment
Journal about a confusing or fearful spiritual experience you've had. Ask God to help you see it with new eyes, trusting that understanding may come with time. -
Practice Presence Over Management
This week, when you feel the urge to control a situation or conversation, pause and ask, "What if I'm meant to simply be present here rather than manage this?" -
Listen More, Talk Less
In your prayer time, spend more time in silence listening for God's voice than speaking your requests. Practice the discipline of listening to Jesus. -
Stop Going Backward
Identify one area where you've been trying to recreate the past or return to "how things were." Write down one concrete step you can take to move forward instead. -
Touch Someone
Jesus touched the fearful disciples. Who in your life needs a tangible reminder of God's presence? Send an encouraging text, make a phone call, or offer a listening ear to someone who is confused or afraid.
Group Challenge
Together, commit to: Sharing one "mountain moment" with another group member this week—a time when you didn't understand what God was doing but kept following anyway. Encourage each other in moving forward rather than trying to go back.
Closing Reflection (5 minutes)
Read together: 2 Peter 1:16-18
"For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."
Reflection: Peter eventually understood. He became the one who preached with fire and led with boldness. The confusion on the mountain didn't disqualify him—it prepared him. Your confusion doesn't disqualify you either.
Closing Prayer
Invite group members to share brief prayer requests, especially related to areas where they need:
- Courage to move forward rather than live in the past
- Peace in the midst of confusion
- The ability to listen more deeply to Jesus
- Trust that understanding will come in God's timing
Close by praying for one another, asking Jesus to touch each person as he touched the disciples on the mountain.
